Christmas Jam Canning Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How runny should jam be before canning? ›

Lift the spoon of jam above the pan about 12 inches and tilt the spoon horizontally. Watch how the jam runs back into the pan. You are aiming for a cascading sheet-like fall, not a single line of runny jam.

The biggest difference between freezer jam and canned jam is in taste. Both are jams and are great on sandwiches, rolls, biscuits and the like, but freezer jam is never cooked, thus making it taste fresh just like a perfectly ripe strawberry.

Acid: The proper level of acid is critical to gel formation. If there is too little acid, the gel will never set; if there is too much acid, the gel will lose liquid (weep). For fruits low in acid, add lemon juice or other acid ingredients as directed.

I do occasionally add a satchel of lemon wedges to a jam when I know there is likely to be lower amounts of pectin, like with strawberries. This helps add extra pectin that the berries don't have, but in lower amounts than if I were adding commercial pectin.

Fill the hot dry jars right to the top – preserves shrink slightly on cooling and a full jar means less trapped condensation. Seal the jars while still hot. This rule applies to all jams, jellies, pickles and chutneys.

Don't fill your jars too full.

More liquid means more expansion and trust us, you are better SAFE than sorry! Seal the filled jars with a lid. We prefer to use two-piece lids. You can reuse lids over and over again for freezing, not just one time use like for canning.

Yes! You can store cooked (traditional) and uncooked jams (freezer) in the freezer. On occasion, I do make a cooked jam like this Easy Strawberry Jalapeno Jam or this Pineapple Habanero Pepper Jelly. I still just pour the jam into jars and pop them in the freezer once the pectin has set.

If you're making fruit jam at home and skipping the canning process, what is often called quick jam or freezer jam, store in the fridge or freezer to preserve, and be aware that it should be consumed within 10 days if refrigerated and 3 months if frozen. It's not shelf stable without proper canning.

Pectin Substitute

Cornstarch - Another plant-based thickening agent, cornstarch is a great substitute for pectin. Gelatin - For non-vegan menu items, you can substitute gelatin for pectin, but it will yield a different consistency.

Why won t my jam get to 220? ›

there isn't enough pectin—use a combination of ripe and slightly under-ripe fruit. you didn't heat the jam for long enough which likely means you have too much water in it—it's too dilute. you didn't heat the jam enough to hit the jam setting point (around 104 °C or 220 °F).

If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won't have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used. Bring the syrupy “jam” to boil in a pot.

Over-ripe or damaged fruit is not ideal - the jam will not set well and is likely to deteriorate rapidly. The amount of sugar you need to make jam depends on the amount of pectin in your chosen fruit, but generally the fruit-to-sugar ratio for traditional jams is 1:1 (ie. 450g/1lb sugar to 450g/1lb fruit).

Making jam without pectin is easy, you just have to cook it longer. This recipe produces a very thick, rich tasting jam, but if you like your jam a bit looser, cook it 5 minutes less than the suggested cooking time.

Orange juice is a good one-to-one substitute for lemon juice in most recipes. It's less acidic, sweeter, and less tart than lemon juice. Plus, it has a different flavor profile. In recipes in which a large amount of lemon juice is needed, substituting for it with orange juice may significantly impact the flavor ( 4 ).

If you don't want to invest any additional work in that jam, the best choice to make is to change your expectations. If the finished product is just sort of runny, call it preserves (they can be great stirred into oatmeal or yogurt, or spooned over waffles).

Take the jam off the heat while testing. Push your finger through the jam on the plate - you're looking for it to wrinkle and not flood back in to fill the gap. If it's not ready, turn the pan back on, simmer for five minutes and test again.

Once the jam is done cooking, it may look a little thin, but just remember that it will thicken in the fridge as it cools. For a thicker version (good for fruits that are low in pectin, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and peaches), add a tablespoon of pectin powder.

Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set). If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.