We be jammin'...

Yes, I listened to Bob Marley while I was making jam. Can you blame me? How often does that opprotunity present itself?

So, on Saturday, I made jam and marmalade from scratch. And, refusing to settle for freezer jam, I took on the scary task of canning. I grew up with grandmothers that canned a lot of food, but it wasn't carried on by the next generation. Sadly, there's no one in my family that's living to give me any pointers, so I turned to a book on preserves I bought and, of course, Martha Stewart online.

The great thing about jam is it's a really easy way to learn the basics of canning. The high acidity in fruit kills the bacteria that can turn into botulism so no home botox for any of you! But, thankfully, that dramatically decreases your chances of accidentally poisioning your family, horray!

I made marionberry jam and a mixed citrus marmalade, consisting of grapefruit, orange, lemon and lime. Marionberries and citrus are both really high in pectin, so I didn't add any of the commercial kind. Commercial pectin is typically derived from apples and you can find easy ways online to make your own apple pectin, rather than relying on the boxed stuff.


Here is the flat of marionberries I picked up at a local farmer's market. Yummy! $17 for the flat, not too shabby! I used 8 pints for the jam, "flash" froze 2 (froze them in a flat layer, then placed them in bags) and we kept 2 for immediate consumption.


This is the stove set up. On the left is the canning pot, with jars being sterilized in it. I got a great deal on some very cool mason jars at the Goodwill near us. It's a pay-by-the-pound place and glass is .29 a pound! I found 8 really neat jelly jars and paid $1.70! On the lower right is my pot for making jam and on the top left is a little pot with water for sterilizing the lids. You can reuse jars and bands as much as you want, provided they are in safe working condition, but you should never reuse the lids because you could be compromising the security of your seal.


I got so caught up in making the jam first, that I forgot to take a lot of pictures, so here's a picture of the marmalade cooking. The difference between a jam and a marmalade is that marmalades are citrus based, with bits of sugared rind in them. Jams are fruit that is crushed up, where jelly uses just fruit juice and preserves have large chunks of the fruit in them. Clearly I learned a lot this weekend!


After cooking to the right jelling temperature (it varies by fruit), the hot, sterilized jars are then filled with the hot jam. Jim provided a helpful hand during this process. We were able to pick up a nice set of canning tools, including special tongs and such, for under $8. The cans then go into the canning pot, are submerged in water, and are brought to a boil and held there, covered, for the appropriate amount of time. After that they must be taken out and placed on a surface that will not be a temperature shock. I used cooking racks covered with newspaper for insulation and some kitchen towels. Let them cool, undisturbed, for at least 12 hours.


The marmalade, looking pretty.


And the marionberry jam.

We only had one can not seal, so we just popped it in the fridge the next day, after cooling, and are eating that one first. I was very pleased with the results of this adventure and I will definitely be canning again in the future. It was fun and so far it was made breakfast satisfying on more than one level. :)


And a totally belated picture from last week, of some Field Roast culets served with tomato-bail quinoa and some steamed (frozen) green beans. I finally got creative enough to use my cookie scoop for the quinoa and I really liked the presentation, so I think I'll be buying a bigger scoop soon. Any excuse for more gadgets!