Now, the good thing about canning jams is that its quick, easy and you don't need an expensive pressure canner. You only need a water bath canner and you can find one for about $20 at your local discount store. You'll need the following items:
- Peaches (about 10 will yield you 8 half pint jars) (or you can use the fruit of your choice, you'll need about 8 cups of berries/chopped fruit)
- Mason jars or Kerr Jars with lids and rings (heated in your canner on the stove in hot water for sanitation).
- Lemon Juice
- Fruit pectin (I use the crystals, not the liquid)
- Sugar or apple juice
the following items are helpful, but not necessary:
- Lid magnet
- Funnel
- Jar lifter
Here comes the fun part. I needed to peel all ten pounds of peaches. o_O
So, I heated a pan on the stove with boiling water, dropped those babies in for 30 seconds or so, and out they went into a bowl of cold water in the sink. Once cool, the skins literally just peel away with your fingers. After you peel your peaches, you'll take them to the cutting board. I cut mine as small as possible, this way, I don't get the huge pieces that don't want to spread right on your toast.
Mix 1/4 cup of lemon juice with your peaches. This will keep them from browning once you've canned them. Also mix together 1/4 cup of sugar and the box of pectin, and then pour it in your peaches. Then put your peaches in a sauce pan and bring them to a boil, all while using your food masher to mash them up. I have heard of others using the food processor, but I don't get the bicep workout with the processor.
Once you bring it to a boil, remove from heat, and add in your sweetener. I like to use a sugar/apple juice combo, so I don't use too much processed sugar. I add in another 3/4 cup of sugar, and 2 cups of apple juice. You'll want to put it back on the stove, and bring it to a rapid boil (the kind that doesn't stir away) for 1 minute. Time this now, as this is what will help your jelly/jam set. Make sure you keep stirring too, as it will stick if it gets the chance, and burned jam is no good on toast.
After this, you'll want to simply fill your jars. You'll remove them from the canner with the jar lifter where you've been sanitizing them, and fill them one at a time using your funnel. Make sure you wipe the edges clean if you've been messy, as I tend to be, and hand tighten the lids and rings.
You'll then put them back in the water bath, turn the stove on high to get it boiling and boil those babies for 5 minutes (This is if you are under 1000 ft altitude. For 1000-3000 ft, add 5 more minutes). When you're done, use the jar lifter and put them on the counter to sit overnight. You'll hear some popping, and this is normal. This is the seal on your jars setting. You'll be able to push on the lid, and it won't move. If you do have one that moves, (as in you can push it down and then it pops back up) it's OK, just throw this one in the fridge and use it first. Its still great jam.
After they sit out all night, you'll wake up to lovely, home preserved jam!
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