raspberry jam

We used a very simple recipe to make our jam. We didn't use pectin and only added sugar and honey. We washed and crushed all of our berries that we had collected throughout the season. Measuring out the berries we put them into our largest saucepan and matched the cups of berries with equal cups of sugar and honey (4 cups berries, 2 cups sugar, 2 cups honey as an example). Stirring rapidly as the mixture came to a boil, we watched as the mixture thickened and quickly became gelatinous. We put a dab on a plate and placed the plate in the refrigerator for a few minutes to test the jam. If the mixture gels, it's ready for canning! Canning is actually surprisingly simple and we filled quite a few jars and have been giving away our homemade jam all through the holidays. There are ways to make raspberry jam less seedy, such as running it through a sieve or food mill, but we loved our garden picked raspberries so much, we made jam with them as is. 

This was my first time making jam and it is honestly the most delicious thing I've ever tasted. There is something so fulfilling in making and canning your own foods, especially when those foods are grown in your own garden or foraged in a favorite local spot. Odin was able to help us with every step (although the collecting and end-result tasting seemed to be his favorites).

Do you make your own canned goods? What are some of your favorites? We're eager to try new things in 2014 and I would love to hear what you make or want to make!

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