For the last few days — especially after I made biscuits, I’ve been wanting some jam. I had used up all of the jam I made last summer from my raspberries. After making my own lower-sugar jams even if I wanted to order it from the store — I’m spoiled and really don’t care for them anymore.
One of the things about growing up in a family of 12 children is that you learn to improvise a lot and my mother was a master at improvisation when it came to feeding that crew and it’s a skill that I find very valuable at times like this. So I’m going to teach you a quick way to get some delicious homemade jam on your table in short order.
The first thing I did was search my freezer for any frozen berries or fruit I might have hanging out there for the healthy smoothie I’m probably not going to make right now. I found 1/2 sack of frozen strawberries and a tiny container of last year’s raspberries — a cup of fruit between the two of them. You can use pretty much any combination of fruit you find that you like for this recipe. I let them thaw overnight, but you could do it in the microwave. This morning while coffee was perking I made JAM.
This is my grandmother’s recipe for jam– with one exception I use 1/2 the sugar because I like my jam not as sweet and with a little tartness. You can adjust the sugar to your tastes. Because you are only making a small batch you don’t need to worry about canning it or freezing it–you can keep it in the fridge for a month if it lasts that long. Her recipe is for Raspberry Jam, but I find it works for almost any fruit jam you want to whip up and my Strawberry/Raspberry combination was divine this morning.
- 2 cups Raspberries (or other fruit)
- 2 cups Sugar ( I only use 1 cup of sugar for the lower sugar version)
- 1 TBS of lemon juice (if you have it -- not necessary if not canning but adds brightness)
- Put fruit, sugar, and lemon into a large saucepan stir and bring to a rolling boil.
- Boil stirring occasionally for between 8 and 10 minutes. ( I boil the full 10 minutes when using less sugar)
- Jam is done when it is thick and glossy. Your jam will be a brighter color and flavor with the less sugar version.
- Pour into a clean container while hot (if using a mason jar it helps if you have it heated up a bit from washing and put a knife in it to absorb the heat as you pour the hot jam into the jar)
- Store in the fridge for up to a month or freeze.
Stay safe, healthy and sane.
Enjoy and Keep it Simple!
Mary
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