Homemade Raspberry Jam

I'm new at this. I've never made jam before - like REAL jam. Not that super easy and not very good freezer jam. I rarely will even eat that. I mean the real deal raspberry jam, cooked and canned, and soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo delicious!!!

So, I was a little nervous to say the least. I don't do a lot of canning, nor do I know a lot about it. As I was preparing to make this, I was wishing my mother-in-law was right next to me to help me through it. She's a PRO at canning. I'm a total rookie.

But it worked out! Yay!! I took some pictures to walk you through the basic steps of making jam. Now, one thing you should know is that depending on what pectin you purchase, the recipes vary. FOLLOW THE RECIPES THEY GIVE YOU INSIDE THE PACKAGE. Since the recipes are different, I'll just walk you through how to do it - no recipe included.

Here's what you do:

Bring a boiling-water canner, a little more than half full with water, to a simmer.

Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water; rinse with warm water. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. I keep the flat lids in the hot water as well. Drain well and dry off just before filling.

Prepare fruit as directed. Whatever you do, do not puree the fruit! You want the jam to have fruit bits. So, crush with a potato masher or pulse in a food processor.

Measure exact amount of sugar in a separate bowl and set aside.

Measure exact amount of prepared fruit into a 6 or 8 quart saucepan. Stir in pectin and a 1/2 teaspoon of margarine or butter to reduce the foaming. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil (it doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat; stirring constantly.

Stir in the sugar quickly, all at once. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for exactly 4 minutes; stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon.

Remove approximately 3/4 of the seeds then ladle into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads clean. Cover with lids and screw band tightly.

Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. Water must cover jars by 1-2 inches; add boiling water if needed. Cover; bring water to a gentle boil. Process jams according to instructions. Make any adjustments for your altitude if needed.

Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. If the lid springs back, it is not sealed and will need to be refrigerated immediately.

Let stand at room temp for 24 hours. Store unopened jams in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 1 year. Refrigerate opened jam for up to 3 weeks.

But if you're anything like us, the jam won't last for three weeks in the fridge. As you can see, one batch made only four pint sized jars and I MUST have more! So my next attempt will be Huckleberry Raspberry Jam. Mmmmmmm!!!!