Things You'll Need:
- Fresh fruit of your choice
- Sugar
- Pectin
- Two large pots
- Canning jars with lids
- Metal spoon
- Ladle
- Food mill or potato masher
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Step 1
Select your fruit. You can make jellies and jams out of all kinds of fruits. Try combining fruits to make a strawberry-banana jelly or a peach-pear jam.
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Step 2
Decide whether you will use pectin. Pectin is added to almost all jams and jellies. It's a naturally occurring thickening agent, present in apples, pears, and other fruits. It's possible to make jams without adding pectin, however, it takes much longer and your yield is smaller.
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Step 3
Purchase fresh pectin, if you choose to use pectin in your jam-making. Like baking soda and yeast, pectin is a pantry staple that can lose its effectiveness over time, so have a fresh supply to ensure the best results. Pectin can be purchased in powder or liquid forms.
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Step 4
Wash the jam jars and lids and set aside.
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Step 5
Prepare your fruit. If you're making berry jams, you simply need to remove the stems and crush the fruit in a food mill or with a potato masher. However, if you're using harder fruits like apples, pears, or stone fruits, you might want to simmer the fruit in a shallow pan of water for about an hour to soften before crushing. Make sure to remove the skins, seeds, or stones of the fruits you select.
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Step 6
Determine your fruit-sugar-pectin ratio. If you're adding pectin, and not just relying on the natural pectin in the fruit, chances are your pectin came with a "cheat sheet" that tells you how much sugar and pectin you need to use to make a jam with your chosen fruit.
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Step 7
Fill one pot with water and bring to a full boil.
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Step 8
Combine the crushed fruit, pectin, and 1/4 cup of the sugar in the other pot, cooking over high heat for about 10 minutes (much longer if you don't use pectin). Make sure to keep stirring this blend, or the bottom of the pan could burn, giving your jam a very unpleasant taste.
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Step 9
Test the jelly by scooping out a small spoonful and letting it cool to room temperature. If it's a consistency that seems thick enough to you, move on to the next step. If not, add more pectin and test again in a few minutes.
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Step 10
Add the rest of the sugar, cooking for another few minutes.
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Step 11
Pour the jam into self-sealing jam jars, attach the lids, and place in the pot of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Then simply remove the jars, let cool, and store. Don't forget to label your jams! Consume within 12 months.
