Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Berry Picking Adventures

A couple of weeks ago, my sisters and I decided to take the kids and go berry picking.  It was the perfect day.  Blue skies, and mild temperatures, and the picking was great.  We picked for about an hour and a half and I came home with almost 4 pounds of raspberries, scratches all over my arms, and a little sunburn, and it was all worth it!  We wasted no time making raspberry jam.  Raspberry picking is on our summer bucket list next year, and will probably become a new  summer tradition.  Great way for our kids to see where some foods come from, and work to making them into something they love.
Raspberry Jam
makes about 7, 8 ounce jars
5 cups crushed raspberries
1 package, 1.75oz powdered fruit pectin
7 cups granulated sugar 

Wash and sterilize jars and lids.

In a large pot, crush raspberries with a potato masher (I've found this is the easiest way to get the best consistency).  Whisk in pectin until dissolved.  Bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently.  Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Remove from heat and skim off foam (I just put it in a small bowl, and stick it on some toast as a reward for all my hard work).

Meanwhile, place lids in a pot and cover with water.   Heat until boiling, and reduce to a simmer until needed.

Ladle hot jam in to jars leaving about 1/4 inch space.  Clean off the rim of each jar using a clean wet rag or paper towel.  Place prepared lids on jars, screw the band on until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. 

Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes.  Remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool and store.  




If your house is like mine, it won't last long...  I'm already wishing I'd have made more.  

*From the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving

1 comment:

  1. I am SO jealous. I could totally eat an entire jar of that all by myself. Looks delicious!!

    ReplyDelete

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