It had been years since I had used Sure Jell pectin, and I found something disturbing. The packs no longer have the folded-up paper directions for making jam. Instead, the box tells you to go to the website for directions; that URL just takes you to a landing page on Kraft’s website. I had to search externally for a “lower sugar strawberry jam” recipe on the Kraft website, and the one I found was the weirdest. Their search parameters are not working great.

That two-sided paper contained the basic recipes for jam, for both canning and freezer jam. What does it save? A penny per box? Yet, that page was invaluable! It had the ratios; you could use that to make any berry jam or jelly. Searching again externally, I found they DO have the paperwork online. But you’d think it should be easy to find, no? For the lower sugar Sure Jell, here is the paperwork. If one has to use Google to find something that should be hyperlinked, it is a major fail!

I chose to use the Sure-Jell Lower Sugar pectin with this jam to use less sugar. Walmart is one of the most affordable places to buy it, at under $3.50 a box. Amazon is far pricier. Normally, I would use Pomona Pectin and have an ultra-low-sugar jam, but I was taking an existing recipe and working with it, so it is best not to change the pectin brand (because the lower-sugar pectin is far different from Pomona Pectin).

It’s an easy jam to make, and quite tasty, though still a bit sugary. The kids will like it!

Strawberry Balsamic Preserves

Ingredients:

• 5 cups finely chopped fresh strawberries (about 2 pounds)
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 package Lower Sugar Sure Jell Pectin

Directions:

Place seven jam canning jars, or the size you prefer, into a canning kettle. Fill the jars with water, and up to the neck of the jars.

Place on the stove and cover.

Put rings and new lids in a small saucepot, cover with water. Place on the stove.

Bring the jars to a boil, and the rings to a simmer.

Wash the berries, then trim the tops. Dice up and add to a heavy pot.

Add in the balsamic vinegar.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often. Mash a bit with a potato masher.

Once boiling, stir in the sugar and pectin till dissolved. Bring back to a boil, cook for one minute, stirring constantly.

Take off the stove.

Drain the jars into the canning kettle and transfer them to a clean kitchen towel. Then, sterilize your ladle, canning funnel, and bubble wand in the canning kettle.

Pour the hot jam into the jars, leaving a ¼” rim. Run the bubble wand through the jam.

Wet a new paper towel, wipe the rims.

Place a lid on each jar, then a ring, tightening with your hand (use the towel to hold the jar).

Place the jars in the canner rack and lower them into the water. Add hot water from the rings/lids saucepan, if the jars are not entirely covered. Bring to a boil, and let simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes for half-pints, 15 for pints.

Lay a clean kitchen towel on a cooling rack. Transfer the jars to it. Let cool, then remove the rings and wipe the jars.

Mark the lids with the date made, use within a year for best taste/quality.

Makes about 56 ounces, or 7 cups, of jam. I used 8-ounce canning jars.

~Sarah

Moving is hard for cooking. A new kitchen, and it’s nowhere near where it was. Even the stove is different. I spent 7 years on a propane stove, able to do nearly anything I wanted. Until we have it plumbed, this house is electric—and worse, it came with a glass top stove. If you can, you know how awful glass top stoves are for preserving food. I have to be careful and only use my pint jar-sized canner, which is lightweight. Know that with glass top stoves, you are not supposed to use enamel canning pots – if you care about your warranty. Since this stove isn’t new, I will proceed as I have done at other homes – and use it, but do it with care – make sure your pot isn’t wet when you put it on the burner underneath, for example. Can I say I miss a gas stove? It’s enough I might can outside on my propane ring…..

Still, it’s that feeling of accomplishment after the first batch of preserves. I did it. I learned a new stove. And then you find yourself producing more and more. It gets one back into cooking and creating. It can take me 6 months to feel at home again in a different kitchen. And I am only 2 months in. I try to remember to give myself grace.

This is not a lower-sugar jam. You don’t want to mess with the recipe with the carrots—they are low in acid, so they need the sugar and lemon juice to be preserved safely.

Amazon has the canning accessory set I have been using for years back in stock, and it is under $20.

The hardest part was finding the pectin. I am not used to where some of the grocery stores hide it on the East Coast. Typically, on the West Coast, canning supplies such as pectin are tucked next to the sugar. But Food Lion hides it back above the charcoal briquets. Okay, and being short, I didn’t see it on the top shelf. I had to laugh—a tiny bit. Walmart carries pectin, and you can get it delivered with groceries as well.

Carrot Cake Jam

Ingredients:

• 2-4 large carrots
• 1½ cups diced pears (about 2 Bartlett)
• 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple with juice
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 6½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 box dry pectin

Directions:

Place 4 pint canning jars or the size you prefer into a canning kettle. Fill the jars with water up to the neck.

Place on the stove and cover.

Put rings and new lids in a small saucepot, cover with water. Place on the stove.

Peel and trim the carrots. Grate them using a box grater, on the smallest side. Measure 1½ cups.

Peel and core the pears, dice them up, and measure 1½ cups.

Add the carrots, pears, pineapple, lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a tall, heavy pot (preferably stainless steel).

Cover and boil, then lower to medium-low and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often to avoid scorching.

Meanwhile, bring the pot with the canning jars to a boil and then bring the lids to a simmer over medium heat.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Increase the temperature to high and bring to a boil, stirring often.

Add in the dry pectin, stirring well. Set a timer for one minute, stirring constantly.

Take off the heat.

Drain the jars into the canning kettle and transfer them to a clean kitchen towel. Then, sterilize your ladle, canning funnel, and bubble wand in the canning kettle.

Pour the hot jam into the jars, leaving a ¼” rim. Run the bubble wand through the jam.

Wet a new paper towel, wipe the rims.

Place a lid on each jar, then a ring, tightening with your hand (use the towel to hold the jar).

Place the jars in the canner rack, lower down. If they are not entirely covered, add the hot water in the rings/lids. Bring to a boil, and let simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes for half-pints, 15 for pints.

Lay a clean kitchen towel on a cooling rack. Transfer the jars to it. Let cool, then remove the rings and wipe the jars.

Mark the lids with the date made, use within a year for best taste/quality.

Makes about 4 pints, or 8 cups, of jam.

~Sarah

A good friend brought me a bucket of Italian Plums she gleaned and so I needed to figure out what to do with them. So it seemed jam was what I was focusing on this week. I had realized it was September and I had not canned a single jar of jam. Now I have 2 kinds, stored for the winter.

This recipe is lower sugar, calling for 3 cups of sugar. A traditional jam would have had 7 cups. The Ball pectin I used can also take less sugar or even use fruit juice if it is desired, it has recipes both on the container and online. It comes in a multi-batch bottle as well, where you can make 2 to 8 jars a batch, based on how much fruit you have. Great if you don’t have a lot, or have a smaller family. I did a full batch however as I have many to feed.

Most grocery stores sell this pectin in the canning section, look up high for it.

Lower Sugar Plum Jam

Ingredients:

• 5 1/3 cups plums pitted and diced
• 1 1/3 cups water
• 6 Tbsp Ball Realfruit Low or No Sugar Pectin
• 3 cups granulated sugar

Directions:

Place 8 6-ounce canning jars in a water bath canner. Fill the jars with water, then fill pot with water to cover the jars. Bring to a near boil, then let simmer, while you are working.

Pit and dice plums, then place in a large pot, stir in water and pectin.

Bring to full rolling boil over high heat (a boil that doesn’t stop when stirring). Stir in sugar quickly, return to a full rolling boil, cook for 1 minute after it returns to the boil. Take off the heat.

Drain jars using tongs, place on a clean kitchen towel. Ladle the hot jam into the bars, using a sterilized canning funnel. Leave a ¼” headspace.

Dip a clean paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.

Turn canner up to high, place jars in water bath rack, lower rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, and then process for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.

Once cooled, check again that seals are down (you should hear the Ping! as each one seals). Gently remove bands (wash, dry and store for your next project. While they look nicer on, if they have water inside from processing, they can rust. If you are giving away your canned items, you can always slip one back on), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.

As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard it immediately! (I have only ever lost one jar in all my canning, so don’t fret!)

This batch made 7 6-ounce jars (42 ounces). I always add in another jar just in case there is extra jam – if not, just let it air dry and set aside.

~Sarah

I had various pectin brands around the house, so I decided to make a quick batch of pear jam, that was lower sugar (if you make traditional jam with grocery store pectin, it can be 7 cups sugar for a batch, this way I only used 3 cups. Which was still high for my taste, but far better).

I did a dice of the pears, and while I mashed it a bit while cooking, I let most of the fruit stay intact, giving a lovely look to the jam. It turned out as a thick spread.

This year we had a great pear crop on our one tree in the orchard. The tree produced very nicely.

I picked the pears a little early, I didn’t want the hornets/wasps getting into them, and let them ripen inside. A solid choice. They eventually turned a pale yellow and were ready.

Lower Sugar Pear Jam

Ingredients:

• 5 cups pears peeled, cored and diced
• ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 box Sure Jell Low or No Sugar pectin
• 3 cups granulated sugar

Directions:

Place 7 6-ounce canning jars in a water bath canner. Fill the jars with water, then fill the pot with water to cover the jars. Bring to a near boil, then let simmer while you are working.

Peel, core, and dice pears, then place in a large pot and stir in lemon juice. Add ¼ cup of the sugar to the pectin, then stir into the pear mixture. Bring to full rolling boil over high heat (a boil that doesn’t stop when stirring). Stir in sugar quickly, return to a full rolling boil, and cook for 1 minute after it returns to the boil. Take off the heat.

Drain jars using tongs and place them on a clean kitchen towel. Ladle the hot jam into the bars using a sterilized canning funnel. Leave a ¼” headspace.

Dip a clean paper towel in hot water, then run around the top of each jar. Place a lid on each jar, then a band, screw on finger tight.

Turn the canner up to high, place jars in the water bath rack, and lower the rack into water. Water should cover by 1 – 2″. Bring to a rolling boil, covered, and then process for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, carefully remove jars, placing on a clean dry kitchen towel to cool.

Once cooled, check again that the seals are down (you should hear the Ping! as each one seals). Gently remove bands (wash, dry and store for your next project. While they look nicer on, if they have water inside from processing, they can rust. If you are giving away your canned items, you can always slip one back on), note on jar or lid what is in jar with a date. Store in a dry/cool/dark area and use within a year.

As always, if you ever go to use a canned item and the lid is not sealed anymore, or bulging, discard it immediately! (I have only ever lost one jar in all my canning, so don’t fret!)

This batch made 6 6-ounce jars (36 ounces). I always add in another jar just in case there is extra jam – if not, just let it air dry and set aside.

~Sarah