Description
This guide features 12 easy and delicious jam and jelly recipes perfect for beginners. From fruity and sweet to savory and floral, these flexible recipes are simple to make with minimal equipment, using fresh or frozen fruit, herbs, or juice.
Ingredients
- Cran-Raspberry Jam: raspberries, cranberry juice, sugar, pectin, butter
- Apple Jelly: apple juice, powdered pectin, sugar, butter
- Christmas Jam: strawberries, cranberries, sugar, pectin, spices
- Fennel Tomato Jam: tomatoes, fennel, vinegar, sugar
- Caramel Apple Jam: apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar
- Balsamic Blueberry Jam: blueberries, balsamic vinegar, sweetener, arrowroot
- Honey Strawberry Jam: strawberries, honey, lemon juice, Pomona’s pectin
- Raspberry Chia Seed Jam: raspberries, chia seeds, maple syrup or honey
- Lilac Flower Jelly: lilac blossoms, lemon juice, water, sugar, pectin
- Thimbleberry Jam: thimbleberries, sugar, lemon juice
- Black Raspberry Jam: black raspberries, sugar, pectin
- Refrigerator Huckleberry Jam: huckleberries, chia seeds or pectin, sugar or honey
Instructions
- Sterilize jars and prepare fruit or juice.
- In a saucepan, combine fruit or juice with sweetener and thickener (pectin, chia seeds, or arrowroot).
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens or reaches the setting point.
- Use the spoon or plate test to check if it’s ready—if it wrinkles or holds shape, it’s done.
- Ladle jam into jars, wipe rims, and seal with lids.
- For canned jams, process in a boiling water bath for recommended time. Let cool.
- For refrigerator jams, let cool completely before refrigerating.
Notes
- Use frozen fruit if fresh isn’t available—thaw and drain before use.
- Add a small amount of butter during cooking to reduce foaming.
- Adjust sweetness by using honey or maple syrup in place of sugar.
- Store canned jams in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year; refrigerate opened or uncanned jars for 2–3 weeks.
- Chia jams are ready faster and great for small batches.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15–35 minutes
- Category: Preserves
- Method: Boiling or No-Cook
- Cuisine: Varied
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 40
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 0mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
