Things You'll Need:
- Summer fruit
- Sugar
- Pectin
- Jars, lids and sealers
- Pot
- Utensils
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Step 1
Find the fresh fruit that is in season in your area like strawberries, cherries, blackberries, peaches, pears or raspberries. They are usually cheaper when you buy them in large quantities.
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Step 2
Buy several large and small glass jars. It's good to have both sizes so you give jars of jam as gift, large jars to large families and small jars to small families. Make sure each jar has a matching lid. Purchase a box of sealers for the jars and several packages of pectin for preserving. You will need plenty of sugar as well.
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Step 3
Wash the fruit and discard any skin you don't want. Often the box of pectin or your recipe will tell you whether or not to keep the skin. Wash the jars and lids and any utensils you will use to make the jam.
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Step 4
Sterilize the jars in boiling water or in the oven on a cooking sheet. Sterilize the lids in boiling water but not for too long. If you over boil the lids, the sealers won't seal when you put the lids on the jam. Sterilize all your utensils in boiling water.
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Step 5
Cut up the fruit and measure the amounts you need according to your recipe or pectin box instructions. Boil the fruit and required sugar as stated in the recipe. Stir frequently. Add pectin as stated on the box. Mix well.
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Step 6
Pour jam mixture into jars carefully until the jars are almost full. Leave about 1/8 of an inch at the top of the jar. Using sterilized tongs, put the sealers and lids on the jars carefully and tighten the lids to seal.
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Step 7
Leave the jars to sit. The ones that seal properly will pop and look sealed. The ones that don't seal properly have flexible lids that you can push down. Use these jars first because they did not seal for long-term keeping.
