Jamming!

It's the perfect time of year to make freezer jam with your favorite berries. How do I know you're reading this at the right time of year?  First the recipe, then I'll explain why.

Recipe

1 3/4 pounds (3 1/4 cups) crushed strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 box MCP Pectin

1 cup light corn syrup

2 pounds (4 1/2 cups) sugar

Wash, stem (if strawberries), and crush fruit.  Measure pulp and lemon juice into a 4 quart pot.  Stir in pectin slowly and mix thoroughly.  Set aside for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add light corn syrup and mix well.  Add sugar gradually.  Stir well to dissolve completely.  Pour into clean jars (leaving 1/2 inch of space at the top) and put on lids.  Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours, then move to the freezer.

Origin

This is the recipe that used to be included in boxes of MCP Pectin, except that I converted a couple of the volumes to weights.  This is especially useful when shopping for berries because they're always sold by weight.

The recipe in the box these days no longer calls for corn syrup, but it otherwise unchanged.  I prefer to include the corn syrup simply because I've always done it that way, and I'm always happy with the outcome.

Berries

I usually use strawberries, raspberries, or a mix of both.  Berries are seasonal fruit.  Remember when I promised to tell you how I knew you'd be reading this at the right time of year to make jam?  That's because you don't need to use fresh berries.  Frozen berries are already washed, already have their stems removed, are available all year long, and are easier to mash than fresh berries.  Plus they're often cheaper.  And, since you'll be mashing them anyway, nobody will know the difference.  Just buy the frozen berries and thaw them in the fridge (or in the microwave if you're careful not to cook them).

Why Freezer Jam?

Because cooked jam doesn't taste nearly as good.  That's all the reason you need.

Storage

Freezer jam isn't sterilized by heat, so the jam needs to be kept cold.  It keeps for a long time in the freezer.  You can keep an opened jar in the fridge for a few weeks.

Pectin

There are several types of pectin, and they're not interchangeable.  Some of them require high heat before they'll gel, while others require different amounts of sugar, acid, or calcium.  If you don't use the right type of pectin for your recipe, your jam might not set up.  I've always used MCP Pectin for this recipe and it always works.  (Except for the time I tried making strawberry pineapple jam.  That didn't gel enough, and it didn't taste nearly as good as I hoped it would.)

Method

I always make a double batch in a 5 1/2 quart pot.  I use a potato masher on the berries, then I use the same mashing tool for all the stirring.  The masher we have now works really well for stirring, but our previous one really didn't.  So, you'll have to decide for yourself what tool to use.  Just make sure you don't leave any undissolved sugar in the bottom of the pot.

After the last of the ingredients have been added, I use an immersion blender to give the jam a smoother texture.  This step is totally optional.

If you use a canning funnel to fill the jars (and I highly recommend you do), stop filling when the jam reaches the bottom of the funnel.  This will give you the right amount of space at the top of the jar to keep the jar from breaking when it freezes.

When you buy jam jars, keep the box they come in.  It's really handy for keeping the jars organized in your freezer.

After each jar of jam is consumed, we wash the jar and store it in a clean plastic bin in the garage.  The bin has a tight fitting lid to keep the dust out.  The jars are then ready to go when it's time to make jam again.

Tools

It really helps to have a sturdy mashing tool for this recipe.  I like this one.  You'll also want a canning funnel and some jam jars.  I prefer glass jars, but plastic jars are also okay.