jammin' on the one

This year I combined the blueberries we picked with the strawberries from the farm behind our house to make a mixed berry jam.

I've been jamming for a couple of years now, and if you're going to do it, I would recommend investing minimally in these three instruments:

1) Ladle; 2) Jar Lifter; and 3) Funnel.

You can buy canning sets for under $15 which include a variety of tools, but I found these three the most important.

The recipe I adapted makes a small batch, but can be doubled or tripled if needed.

Strawberry Blueberry Jam

3 cups of strawberries (I slightly smoosh them as I like chunky jam)

1 cup of blueberries

1-1/2 cups of sugar

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/2 package of pectin (plus a little more if you like yours extra thick)

1. Mix pectin with 1/2 C. of sugar in a small bowl.

2. Mix berries with pectin/sugar combination in a medium saucepan. Cook to a full boil.

3. Add rest of sugar and bring back to a boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.

4. Test thickness.

5. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir.

5. Can and process* your jam.

Tips:

- Wash jars and lids in the dishwasher the day before.

- Start boiling your processing water first as this will take awhile.

- Microwave some water in a shallow bowl and heat lids in the bowl while making the jam.

- Put a small bowl in the freezer before you begin. Use it to test your jam's thickness. The jam should thicken quickly in the cold bowl so you know it's ready.

*How To Process Your Jam

1. Fill jars leaving 1/4 inch from the top. Tighten lid.

2. Place jars in boiling water (jars should be covered by at least 2 inches of water). Boil 10 minutes.

3. Cool overnight without touching or bumping.