Berry Berry Small Batch Jam

As I shared earlier, with the help of my neighbor and mother nature, I ended up with fresh picked raspberries ready and waiting to be put to good use. Jams are one of my favorite ways to preserve summer harvests all year long (and a favorite of the neighbor who helped me pick) so I knew a jam was the way to go. I combined the raspberries with some blueberries I had left over from the 4th of July kabobs to create this berry berry good small batch jam! Feel free to use a combination of any kind of berries to create your own twist!

Berry Berry Jam (Small Batch)

2 1/2 cups Fresh Raspberries

1 1/2 cups Fresh Blueberries

1 Tb lemon Juice

6 Tb Pectin*

4 cups sugar

*Note - I used Ball Real Fruit Pectin for my jam and followed the guidance on their packing for ingredient proportions - if you use other pectin, refer to the packaging for best results.

In a large canner pot, sterilize your jars and lids in boiling water - this should make about 3 pints or 5-6 half pints of jam. 

In another pot or large saucepan, combine fruit and lemon juice. Smash fruit down into an even layer. Stir in pectin. Turning on medium heat, bring the fruit to a strong boil. Add sugar and stir in until dissolved. Bring once again to a rolling boil and maintain full boil for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Remove jam from heat.

Pour hot jam into canning jars. Refrigerate.

Optional - canning instructions. If you are looking to preserve, process for 10 minutes in boiling water canner. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes in water before removing. Allow to cool and ensure that all seals take.

This recipe has optional canning instructions. If you are new to canning, I think this is a great starter recipe, however, I would highly recommend taking a look at the USDA's canning guide to learn more about safe canning practices. You can find the guide online here: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.htm

I enjoyed my jam on hot buttered toast and slices of frozen pound cake. How will you enjoy yours?