Pick-a-Fruit Jam
This recipe uses a simple 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar. For best results, use a mixture of ripe fruit and underripe fruit. Less-ripe fruit contains more natural pectin, which will thicken the jam faster, but more ripe fruit has the best flavor.
Ingredients
- Fruit, such as berries, cherries, and/or peaches (see list above)
- Natural cane sugar or regular granulated sugar
- Water
Instructions
- Pit, stem, and/or chop fruit as needed. Weigh the prepared fruit, then place in a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot (such as a stainless steel or enameled pot). Weigh enough sugar in a bowl to equal the weight of the fruit. Add about 1 cup of the sugar and ½ cup water to the pot. Bring mixture to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until fruit is very soft, about 20 minutes. If a smooth jam is preferred, puree mixture using an immersion blender then, if necessary, run through a food-mill to remove any undesirable skins or seeds; return fruit mixture to pot.
- Add the remaining sugar to pot. Return mixture to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until jam is luscious and thickened, 30 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. To check doneness, the jam should reach 220°F on a candy thermometer (or place a small amount on a plate in the freezer for about 5 minutes, if the mixture gels, it's ready). This time this step takes will depend on the natural pectin in the fruit.
- Ladle into sterilized half-pint canning jars. Cover and process in a boiling water canner 5 minutes. Remove and let cool; check seals. (Or to skip the canning step, ladle into jars, cover, let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate.)