Yes! I made a peach/raspberry jam, strawberry/honey jam, and plain strawberry jam last year. We're still finishing them up so I'm skipping strawberry jams this year.
I did just can strawberry lemonade concentrate and strawberry applesauce. Canning is super easy and I find it fun. I'm totally addicted to hearing the tops pop.
Tell me more about the strawberry lemon concentrate! And the peach raspberry!
My bread machine will make jam. That's the only way I've ever done it.
your...bread machine? Makes jam? What is this witchcraft?
I'll just drop here the link I always give anybody who wants to get jammy - FOOD IN JARS! foodinjars.com/ I love this blog. She tends towards doing a lot of small batch stuff, which is great when you end up with like, 2 pints of blackberries instead of an entire flat of something.
My bread machine will make jam. That's the only way I've ever done it.
your...bread machine? Makes jam? What is this witchcraft?
I'll just drop here the link I always give anybody who wants to get jammy - FOOD IN JARS! foodinjars.com/ I love this blog. She tends towards doing a lot of small batch stuff, which is great when you end up with like, 2 pints of blackberries instead of an entire flat of something.
Dittoing PP's suggestion of Pomona's Pectin. I couldn't handle how much sugar most of my other jam recipes called for, and my friend recommended Pomona's. SO GOOD. And super duper easy. Only drawback is that you can't straight sub it in recipes, but Food in Jars and others have made great recipes (plus the Pomona's cookbook is really great). I made a peach ginger jam last year that was delish, as well as a blueberry and blueberry apple.
ETA: Canning is a lot easier than people think. The first time is nerve wracking to make sure you have everything right, but then it's pretty easy.
Yes! I made a peach/raspberry jam, strawberry/honey jam, and plain strawberry jam last year. We're still finishing them up so I'm skipping strawberry jams this year.
I did just can strawberry lemonade concentrate and strawberry applesauce. Canning is super easy and I find it fun. I'm totally addicted to hearing the tops pop.
Tell me more about the strawberry lemon concentrate! And the peach raspberry!
I've done both freezer and canned jam. It's not too hard. I've done cherry (because I have these nanking cherries in my garden that you can not eat as fruit, they're only good as juice or jam), strawberry, and apple butter. My mom makes everything, so I've helped her with some stuff. I don't mind making jam, but we eat so little of it a batch ends up lasting for several years.
I've done dandelion jelly a few times. It's really good. I also do strawberry and blackberry preserves and jelly (my 4 year old hates the lumps in preserves, so I do jelly just for him).
My bread machine makes jam and I also have the Ball jam maker. It is lame, I guess, but I like the jam maker a lot. I use it to make small batches of things while I am pickling and it leads to less waste because I am only making a few jars at a time.
I've done dandelion jelly a few times. It's really good. I also do strawberry and blackberry preserves and jelly (my 4 year old hates the lumps in preserves, so I do jelly just for him).
I've done dandelion jelly a few times. It's really good. I also do strawberry and blackberry preserves and jelly (my 4 year old hates the lumps in preserves, so I do jelly just for him).
If you happen to have access to a tree anywhere, crab apples make fantastic jelly. They're so tart that all the sugar just helps balance it and you end up with a great strong apple flavor. And usually people are thrilled to get the messy things off their tree. I had a few in my old neighborhood that had been planted as street trees and the people in those houses HATED them because they'd make such a mess of the sidewalk and were thrilled when I showed up and asked if I could pick them. I'd take bags and bags off two little trees and make a shitton of jelly. Just yank leaves off and rinse them, boil whole and then use a food mill to remove seeds and skins.
they jell up like a champ with all those skins and seeds so no added pectin needed.
I've done dandelion jelly a few times. It's really good. I also do strawberry and blackberry preserves and jelly (my 4 year old hates the lumps in preserves, so I do jelly just for him).
If you happen to have access to a tree anywhere, crab apples make fantastic jelly. They're so tart that all the sugar just helps balance it and you end up with a great strong apple flavor. And usually people are thrilled to get the messy things off their tree. I had a few in my old neighborhood that had been planted as street trees and the people in those houses HATED them because they'd make such a mess of the sidewalk and were thrilled when I showed up and asked if I could pick them. I'd take bags and bags off two little trees and make a shitton of jelly. Just yank leaves off and rinse them, boil whole and then use a food mill to remove seeds and skins.
they jell up like a champ with all those skins and seeds so no added pectin needed.
I actually have a crab apple tree in the back yard. I've never considered making jelly with them. My boys tend to use them to try and make the biggest mess possible when throwing them at other trees.
If you happen to have access to a tree anywhere, crab apples make fantastic jelly. They're so tart that all the sugar just helps balance it and you end up with a great strong apple flavor. And usually people are thrilled to get the messy things off their tree. I had a few in my old neighborhood that had been planted as street trees and the people in those houses HATED them because they'd make such a mess of the sidewalk and were thrilled when I showed up and asked if I could pick them. I'd take bags and bags off two little trees and make a shitton of jelly. Just yank leaves off and rinse them, boil whole and then use a food mill to remove seeds and skins.
they jell up like a champ with all those skins and seeds so no added pectin needed.
I actually have a crab apple tree in the back yard. I've never considered making jelly with them. My boys tend to use them to try and make the biggest mess possible when throwing them at other trees.
It could be worse. We used to do this with pomegranates.
Wait, mominatrix - talk to me about freezer pickles?
I can't can. I have a glass top cooktop and I've confirmed with the manufacturer that it should not be used for canning.
Wait...why? Weight? can yoy also not make a giant pot of stew?
The biggest problem is the cooktop has a sensor in it that turns the burner off if it senses the glass is getting too hot. The lengthy boil times at a sustained, regulated temperature required for water bath canning are pretty much impossible.
Wait, mominatrix - talk to me about freezer pickles?
I can't can. I have a glass top cooktop and I've confirmed with the manufacturer that it should not be used for canning.
soooooo.... I have a glass top stove, too. I didn't even know it would be a problem.
Well, I guess that's the end of that.
Last time I did freezer pickles, I did Bread and Butter, Dill, and a Jalapeno one. They were all damn good, but I couldn't for the life of me find the recipes.
Online, they were.
Super easy... you just slice the cukes, add a bunch of stuff to them in stages (spices first for a while, then a liquid stage). Refridgerate for a day then freeze. Thaw. Eat.
Wait...why? Weight? can yoy also not make a giant pot of stew?
The biggest problem is the cooktop has a sensor in it that turns the burner off if it senses the glass is getting too hot. The lengthy boil times at a sustained, regulated temperature required for water bath canning are pretty much impossible.
Ah. Mine is old and not that fancy. Definitely reinforces my desire to get anything BUT a glass top when it dies though.
The biggest problem is the cooktop has a sensor in it that turns the burner off if it senses the glass is getting too hot. The lengthy boil times at a sustained, regulated temperature required for water bath canning are pretty much impossible.
Ah. Mine is old and not that fancy. Definitely reinforces my desire to get anything BUT a glass top when it dies though.
you don't know how much I agree with you on this.
A couple years ago, our last glass top stove top cracked (after about six years!), we decided to just get a new-to-us one on Craigslist, because we're planning on renovating the kitchen fairly soon.
When I was looking, I came across one of these beauties:
(edit, the first pic didn't work. fuck. The middle image, the yellow one, but ours was avocado. natch)
...not exactly that one, but close enough. Frigidare DOUBLE oven. Brilliant. Grew up with one and it lasted 30 years of hard use with no issues whatsoever. Couldn't convince my H to buy it, though. Gave me the sads.
WTF happened? Appliances used to be once-or-twice-in-a-lifetime purchases. Now, a stove or fridge lasts like 5 years.
I make freezer jam. I recently discovered Pomona's Universal Pectin and I love it. The set is activated by calcium (included in the package) instead of sugar, so the set is more reliable and you can use way less sugar. It also has more comprehensive information in the insert that tells what to look for and how to fix if the jam doesn't set, plus instructions about developing your own recipes. I can't recommend it enough.
I love this stuff. You should be able to get it at whole foods.