Let’s have a Jamboree! – Day to Day Eats

While summertime brings us lots of delicious fruits, the warm temperatures also means that fruits ripen and spoil faster. Do you have ripe fruit that cannot be consumed in a few days before they spoil? Consider making them into jams in your own kitchen!

Store-bought jams usually contain added sugar. Overconsuming added sugar damages our heart health and increases the risk for diabetes. The intense sweetness may also overpower the natural flavors of the fruit. However, you can control the amount of sugar and adjust it to your desired taste when you make your own jam.

Many store-bought jams are made with the addition of pectin, a natural compound that helps to thicken the jam. Because many fruits naturally contain pectin, jams can be made with just fruit, lemon juice, and sugar. Jams made this way may come out a little thinner than store-bought jams, but they are still delicious. This method works best with fruits that naturally contain pectin, such as berries, cherries, plums, and apples. Follow these steps for delicious homemade jam:

Choose your fruit

Avoid using over-ripe fruit
If available, adding slightly under-ripe fruit will provide more pectin than ripe fruits

Prepare your fruit

Every pound of fruit yields about 2 cups of jam. Clean the fruit with running water.
If present, remove the pits, stones and stems of fruit. It is NOT necessary to peel the fruit. The skin of fruits is naturally high in pectin.
Cut fruit into large chunks. Mash large chunks of fruit into pieces with a fork. This will help release the juices in the fruit and cook the jam faster.

Combine fruit, lemon juice, and sugar

Put the fruit pieces into a large pot or saucepan. A large and heavy pan keeps the fruit from scorching and helps with evaporating the water. Avoid using cast-iron pans as the iron reacts with the acid in the fruit, which discolors the jam.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or the juice of one lemon to every pound of fruit. This will help thicken the jam without adding pectin.
Add about ½ cup of sugar to every pound of fruit. Adding sugar will help the juices come out of the fruit and thicken the jam, but you may find that the jam will come out sweet enough without as much sugar. Experiment with different amounts to find your perfect spot!

Cook the mixture

First, place the pot over low heat to dissolve the sugar. Then, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat and skim any skum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let the mixture boil for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cooking time will increase with more fruit.

Check for thickness

Keep a metal tablespoon in a glass of ice water or the freezer. When testing for thickness, use this cold spoon to take ½ a spoonful of your mixture. Tip the spoon to test the thickness of consistency. If the jam has achieved a thick consistency, the liquid will not drip as much liquid from the spoon as thinner consistency. You can then move on to the next step.

Cool and store

Remove the jam from the heat and store in sterilized heat proof jars. All jars should be sterilized, even if the jars are brand-new. Do not use jars that have cracks, breaks, or other deformities.

Important safety note about sterilizing jars: do NOT add hot food to cold jars or cold food to hot jars as the jar may shatter.

To sterilize jars, place jars right-side up on a rack in a boiling-water canner. Cover the jars with warm water up to 1 inch above the top of the jars. Boil water for 10 minutes.

Fill sterile jars with jam, making sure to leave a ¼ inch headspace at the top of the jar. Add lid and tighten. Store in refrigerator at 40 degrees or lower. Cooked jams with pectin-added may be stored for up to a full-month, but low-sugar cooked jams will have a shorter shelf-life and should be used within 2-3 weeks. Do not keep your jam container open frequently or out at room temperature for long periods of time as this reduces shelf-life even more.

Immediately discard the entire contents of your container if you detect mold, yeast, or unusual odors from your jam.

Ideas for how to use jam:

Create a spread for whole grain crackers or toast:
- Mix your jam with chia seeds and a little water
- Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes
- After 5 minutes, the chia seeds should expand to create a thick jam spread
Use your jam as pancake syrup:
- Recipe for whole grain pancakes: https://cornell.app.box.com/s/yfzbdc4cdpgiaj74s8qxe881qtxn3zwo
- Combine 4 tbs of jam with 3 tbs of boiled water in a serving jug
- Whisk the jam and boiling water until a syrup form
- Drizzle syrup on whole grain pancakes and enjoy!
Use it a salad dressing:
- Mix jam with olive-oil, vinegar (white wine, red wine, or balsamic vinegar), a small spoonful of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper
  - Add 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil
- Substitute the Italian dressing in this Chicken Club Salad recipe with your jam dressing: https://cornell.app.box.com/s/2levfxdfdlxbk5rb9ms3sp0ollhca4ab