Last fall, we were charmed into an especially enchanting roadside produce stand and bought an embarrassing amount of pumpkins, gourds, squash, potatoes, and a jar of mixed berry jam.
Papa and I love antiquing, and when we are out and about, we cannot resist the tug of beautifully arranged fresh fruits and vegetables and shiny jars of pickles, jellies, and jams neatly lined up on simple wooden shelves.
I get giddy over the artistic appeal of a well-laid-out produce department, and I think all of God's fresh food is beautiful. It's one of the things that draws me to the kitchen and why I love farm-to-table cooking.
The thing that made the jam irresistible that day was the charming name: "traffic jam." It had an adorable label picturing a pile-up of colorful little cars. Kudos to whoever came up with it! So charming!
It's fun to call mixed berry jam "traffic jam." This jam tastes delicious on toast, on a biscuit, in a PBJ, swirled into yogurt, or in a bowl of oatmeal.
You can use any combination of berries you have on hand, and fresh or frozen berries work just fine!
In fact, you can combine fresh and frozen berries in the same batch. I knew it would be several months before good fresh strawberries and raspberries were available, so I made my first batch using only frozen berries.
Frozen fruit is picked at the peak of perfection and quick-frozen within hours, so it's always a good choice when fresh is unavailable. I had blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries in the freezer, so that is what I used, and you can combine any berries any way you like.
I like to make jam using six or seven cups of fruit. It is a perfect-sized batch that cooks quickly and evenly and sets up nicely. It really doesn't matter how much of each berry you use; the quantities do not need to be equal. And if you have three or five kinds of fruit, that's okay, too.
Mash the fruit to your desired level of chunkiness.
You will need a large pot to cook the jam and a second tall pot or steam canner to process it for long-term storage, making it shelf-stable.
You will need a few basic canning tools that will last a lifetime! You may find the things at a thrift store or flea market, or someone may even give them to you! Here's an example of a canning tool set from Walmart.
You'll need clean jars (I run mine through the dishwasher) and the two-piece lids to seal them. Everything but the flat lids is reusable!
I like to pad my workspace with a thick-folded towel when filling the jars, and I use a rack to hold the hot jam pot when I remove it from the stove.
Measure the sugar and set it aside. Put it in a bowl you can use to easily pour the sugar into the pot because you will add it all at once. I like to use my Pampered Chef Batter bowl with a handle.
Put the fruit, lemon juice, and a little pat of butter in the pot to cook. The butter helps keep foam from forming on the jam as it cooks.
Once the fruit mixture comes to a boil, Add the sugar all at once and continue cooking. Yes, it is a lot of sugar. This is JAM, not diet food! As the jam cooks, the mixture becomes clear, colorful, and very, very hot. The sugar makes it boil at a temperature hotter than boiling water.
Stir continuously until it reaches a boil that you cannot stir down. Then, set a timer and let it cook for exactly one minute, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and put it on a rack or protected surface where you can ladle it into jars.
Use your canning funnel to ladle the hot mixed berry jam mixture into one jelly jar at a time, and wipe the rim with a clean, damp dishcloth. Run your finger around the rim of the jar for any nicks. If there are no nicks, screw the lid and ring in place by hand.
Use your jar lifter to carefully lower the jar into the boiling water bath. Continue until all the jars are filled and in the water bath. When the water returns to a full rolling boil, set the timer for 10 minutes.
If there is a little jam left in the pot, you are lucky! We always have some fresh bread handy to "sample" and enjoy the benefits of being the chief jam maker! 🤩
When the time is up, carefully lift the hot jars onto a cooling rack or a thickly folded towel to prevent shock from the temperature change, which can cause the jar to break.
Allow the jars to cool undisturbed for twelve to fourteen hours to ensure a good seal. If a jar does not seal, put the jam in the refrigerator and use it within two to three weeks. Remember! Everyone I know loves getting a jar of homemade jam as an gift!
I hope you enjoy making jam or other canning! It's a rare opportunity to see the "fruits" of your labor (every pun intended) all lined up to count—so satisfying! Our family favorites include strawberry-rhubarb jam, raspberry jam, and Christmas jam!
Here is a recipe for wonderful mixed-berry jam made with the berries of your choice. It's fun to call it "Traffic Jam."
* at high altitudes, a longer processing time is needed. See https://extension.sdstate.edu/altitude-adjustments-home-canning
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Love GB (Betty Streff)
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