Fresh Fruit Jam

From EatingWell: May/June 2009 — Subscribe Now!

Nothing beats the taste of fresh fruit jam. And when you make it yourself, you can control the amount of sugar used.

6-8 cups

Active Time: 20-40 minutes

Total Time: 20-40 minutes (depending on type of fruit)

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

12 cups prepared fresh fruit, peeled if desired (see Tip)
1-2 cups granulated sugar , or brown sugar (see Note)
1/2 cup water
1 1.75-ounce packet “no sugar needed” pectin , (see Note)

Preparation

Combine fruit, sugar to taste and water in a Dutch oven. Bring to a vigorous boil and crush fruit with a potato masher until desired consistency. Add pectin in a steady stream, stirring constantly. Stir until the pectin is dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil (a boil that cannot be “stirred down”), stirring constantly. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
If freezing or refrigerating, ladle the jam into clean canning jars to within 1/2 inch of the rim. Wipe rims clean. Cover with lids. Let the jars stand at room temperature until set, about 24 hours, before refrigerating or freezing. Or process in a water bath to store at room temperature (see Tip).

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, in the freezer for up to 1 year or at room temperature for up to 1 year if processed in a water bath. | Equipment: Six to eight 8-ounce canning jars

Tip: How to Prep & Measure Fruit—Berries: Remove stems; hull strawberries. Measure whole. Cherries: Remove stems and pits; halve. Measure halves. Peaches, Nectarines & Plums: Peel if desired. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces; discard pits. Measure pieces. Apples, Pears & other fruit: Peel if desired. Quarter, remove seeds and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Measure pieces.
To peel stone fruit, dip them in boiling water for about 1 minute to loosen their skins. Let cool slightly, then remove the skins with a paring knife.
Notes: 3/4 cup maple syrup (or honey) or 1/2-1 cup Splenda Granular can be used in place of 1 cup sugar.
We tested Fresh Fruit Jam with “No sugar needed” pectin from Ball and Sure-Jell. We prefer this to regular pectin because you can adjust the amount of added sugar. Regular pectin cannot be used in its place because it requires more sugar to ensure a proper set. Although Sure-Jell's instructions indicate that you cannot use less sugar than called for in their recipes, we had successful results using less (as indicated in our recipes).
Tip: Processing in a boiling water bath ensures safe storage at room temperature for up to a year. For step-by-step pictures and instructions, go to eatingwell.com/kitchentips.

Nutrition

Per tablespoon (strawberry): 12 calories; 0 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 3 g carbohydrates; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 1 mg sodium; 32 mg potassium.

Exchanges: free food