I made some raspberry jam last week out of what I picked, and then a few days ago my son gave me some blackberries and raspberries from the 16 pounds of berries they had picked. I was planning on making some triple berry jam this year, and so I added other frozen raspberries and blueberries that I had already picked to the mix and made my first batch of triple berry low sugar jam.
Last week I used 1/2 cup of apple juice concentrate and then 1/2 cup water to make a cup of liquid. This time I used 1 cup of apple juice concentrate so I could cut back on how much sugar I needed to add, and it didn't take as much this time.
2. Get the canner ready: Fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars and bring it to a boil because this takes about 30-40 minutes.
(6) If you want to add sugar: You don’t have to add any sugar to this kind of pectin to get it to set, but the instructions say the lack of sugar will affect the appearance and the taste will be a bit tart.
6. Ladle the jam into the jars:
Making & Canning Triple Berry Low Sugar Jam
1. Prepare fruit:
(1) Gently mash a layer of prepared fresh/frozen raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries in a flat pan or container. The instructions for Ball No Sugar Needed Pectin says it will take 10 cups of whole berries, I found when I had blueberries in there, it didn't take as much perhaps 8 cups.
(2) After mashing, measure into a saucepan 5 cups of mashed berries . This will make six 8 oz. jars of jam.
2. Get the canner ready: Fill your water bath canner with enough water to cover the jars and bring it to a boil because this takes about 30-40 minutes.
3. Prepare jars:
(1) Wash the canning jars you will need in hot sudsy water.
(2) After they’ve been rinsed, fill them with hot water until they’re needed. This will keep the jars from breaking when they’re filled with the hot jam.
4. Into the saucepan add:
(1) The 5 cups of mashed berries.
(2) Stir into the berries 1 cup of apple/white grape juice made from concentrate or 1 cup of water. Last week when I made this jam, I used 1 cup of frozen apple juice concentrate.
(3) Mix 1 package of Ball No Sugar Needed Fruit Pectin with a bit of sugar and then gradually add it while stirring. Whisk to remove lumps.
(4) Add 1 t of butter to reduce foaming.
(5) Bring this mixture to a full rolling boil (one that cannot be stirred down) over medium high heat. Stir the jam constantly so it doesn't scorch!
(6) If you want to add sugar: You don’t have to add any sugar to this kind of pectin to get it to set, but the instructions say the lack of sugar will affect the appearance and the taste will be a bit tart.
1. Taste the jam to see how much sugar you want to add—this can be from nothing up to 3 cups.
2. When I made my jam a few weeks ago, it was still a tiny bit tart, so I removed the pan from the stove and skimmed off any foam, and then I stirred in ¾ cup of sugar. It was perfect, just the right amount without overpowering the berries.
3. If you add sugar, let the jam come back to a boil for one minute stir constantly so it doesn't scorch. Remove any foam on the top.
5. Prepare lids:
(1) Put about 1-2 cups of water in a small saucepan and let it come to a boil.
(2) Put the lids into the pan when the jam starts to boil, but make sure the water in the pan the lid goes in doesn’t start to boil. One site said this could make the seal not work as effectively.
6. Ladle the jam into the jars:
(1) Empty the jars as you need them of their hot water, and then ladle in the jam leaving about ¼” space.
(2) Wipe the rim and threads clean with a damp cloth. If you leave something on the lid, it might prevent a good seal from forming.
7. Put on the lid and screw on the band: Put the lid on the jar and hold it steady with your fingertip while you screw on the band until it’s what they call fingertip tight (which means don’t overdo it!). I am using the picture from when I made applesauce.
8. Finish the rest of the jars: Go through steps 6 & 7 until all the jam is gone.
9. Process in the canner:
(1) When the water is boiling in the canner, put the jars in one by one with the jar lifter.
(2) Make sure they don’t touch each other on the rack.
(3) Add more hot water if it doesn’t cover the top of the jars.
(4) Put the lid on the canner and process jam for 10 minutes—you count the time when it comes to a full rolling boil. Follow altitude directions on your pectin package. Don't forget to check the altitude chart on your instructions if your elevation is higher than 1,000 feet.
(5) Let jars sit in the canner for 5 minutes before removing.
10. Remove jars: Use the lifter to remove each jar and sit them on a flat surface to cool. Do not touch the jars or the bands for 12-24 hours! If you do, you may break the seal.
11. Test seals:
(1) A good seal: The next day you can check the seals by pressing the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t flex up and down, it’s sealed.
(2) A bad seal: If a jar didn’t seal, you can put the jam in the refrigerator for 3 weeks or you can reprocess it with a new lid for 10 minutes.
12. Clean jars & remove bands: Wipe down the jars and remove the bands. Store the jam in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
Other jam posts you can check out on this blog:
Other canning posts you can check out on this blog:
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