We have been blessed with an exceptional berry season this year. After filling the freezer with plenty of berries for the winter and making a few tortes my daughter and I decided to try our hand at making raspberry, blackcap and blackberry freezer jams and also experiment with natural dying of clothing using raspberries.
Making Raspberry Freezer Jam
This recipe stays fresh in your freezer for up to a full year.
I must admit that the process for making freezer jam is extremely easy. It takes a total of 30 minutes to make the jam and then 24 hours of setting on your cupboard before the jam fully sets. All three batches of freezer jam turned out wonderful. We followed the instructions found here to make all three batches.
Purchase
Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin, 1.75-Ounce Boxes
6 Cups of fully ripe berries
(4) 1-1/2 cup storage containers or canning jars with lids and rings
Sugar
Directions on How To Make Freezer Jam
Step One:
Boil your freezer containers or glass jars to remove bacteria. Dry thoroughly before making jam.
Step Two:
Mash the berries. We used a potato masher and then measure out 3 cups of the mashed berries and place them in a glass bowl.
Step Three:
Add 5 1/4 cups of sugar to the berries and stir. For my diabetic friends, you can use Splenda No Calorie Sweetener
Step Four:
After berries have sat for 10 minutes; measure out 1/4 cup water and add it to a large saucepan. Add one package of Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin, 1.75-Ounce Boxes.
Step Five:
Bring to water and pectin to a full boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 min. Add to sugar/ raspberry mixture; stir 3 min.
Step Six:
Fill your containers with the hot mixture within 1/2 inch of the top. Wipe down edges and place covers on containers or jars. Let stand 24 hours on cupboard.
Storing Your Jam
You can store jam in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. Thaw in refrigerator before using.
Variation We Made
Blackcap and blackberry jams using the same method above.
Making freezer jam is the easiest way to preserve the fresh taste of your berries. Try it, I bet you will agree.
