Making Jam at the Farm
This time of year is when I love to make delicious jams from all the wonderful berries harvested during the summer season.
I hope you caught my segment on CBS Sunday Morning earlier this month when I made blueberry jam - if not, click anywhere on this highlighted link to watch. I love making all kinds of jams - black raspberry, red raspberry, blackberry, red currant, black currant, quince - the list goes on. In fact, my homemade jams and jellies inspired some of the flavors in my new line of CBD wellness gummies, oil drops, and gelcaps. I hope you've tried them.
Not long ago, I spent an entire day and evening in my kitchen making jars and jars of jam. Many will be given as gifts to family and friends. Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- I have always loved putting up jars of homemade jams, jellies, and preserves, especially when the fruit is my own – grown right here at my Cantitoe Corners farm. The berries are all picked in July and August and then stored in my freezer. Freezing them on trays in single layers first allows the berries to harden and not get crushed – then move them to airtight containers and put them back in the freezer until ready to use. These are trays of red raspberries and black raspberries.
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- I also make lots of blueberry jam. I have many blueberry bushes here at the farm. My grandchildren love fruits, so I make sure to pick lots and lots of these delicious and healthy blueberries for sharing fresh and for cooking.
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- For years, I’ve used recipes from Christine Ferber’s book, “Mes Confitures“. You may recall, Christine was on my television show some years ago making jam with me and promoting her book. Christine is a talented pastry chef with a passion for preserves.
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- First, I I prepare all my Ball jars and lids. They are all placed into the dishwasher, so they can be washed in hot, hot water.
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- The first step is to combine 4 and a 1/2 pounds of fruit, 3 cups of granulated sugar, and the juice from two lemons into a pot and cook it until the sugar is dissolved. When I made the jam, because of the amounts of fruit I had, I had several pots going at the same time. It cooks down pretty quickly and the sweet fragrance wafts through the entire kitchen and house.
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- Once the fruit is cooked down, it is placed into a large bowl – here are the red raspberries.
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- And here are the blueberries.
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- Cover the top with parchment paper and place the fruit into the refrigerator for a night or two.
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- Next, pour the fruit back into a large pot and reheat it until it is 220-degrees Fahrenheit. It is always a good idea to use a sugar thermometer clipped to the side of the pot when making jam, so it can be monitored to the exact temperature for when it sets.
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- Here’s another pot back on the stove. Do you know the difference between jams and jellies? Jam has all the fruit in it and boiled to a thick consistency, while jelly is made from just the fruit juices, strained and then cooked. In preserves, the fruit comes in the form of chunks.
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- As the jelly mixture cooks, I periodically skim the bubbles from the top.
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- Once it’s done, using a ladle, I pour the jam into the jars immediately. Ever since I could remember, I have always been very exact whenever I estimate how many jars I need for a particular project. I estimated this batch to fill 19-glass jars. At the end, we will see how many I actually fill. I pulled four extra just to be safe.
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- Using a wide-mouth funnel is crucial. And some of you may recognize the ladle. I developed this square-shaped ladle for one of my previous collections at Macy’s. I love it because it makes pouring so much easier and more tidy.
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- I poured a spoonful onto a plate – what a nice gel. It’s the perfect thickness. Look at the beautiful, rich color of this blueberry jam.
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- After the jam is poured, wipe off any drips from the side of the jars.
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- Center the lid on the jar, allowing the sealing compound to contact the jar rim.
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- Remember to press down on the top when sealing the jars – the center should push down. And with a finger still in place on top of the lid, I gently screw the rim onto the jar. Always do this with new lids.
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- And guess what? 19 jars of delicious blueberry, red raspberry, and black raspberry jam. There is still more to make – I wonder if I’ll be right again, we’ll see.
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- These are products from my new line of CBD wellness supplements – gummies, oil drops and gelcaps. My new line is in partnership with the world-leading diversified cannabis and hemp company, Canopy Growth Corporation. Together, we’re offering premium quality, hemp-derived products.
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- Making jam is so easy and so flavorful. I hope this inspires you to make some of your own this weekend! Enjoy!
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