Introduction: Homemade Jam, the French Way...
...or, Smucker's Jam Scam.
Last May I had the pleasure of reading Robert Arbor's Joie de Vivre, a how-to guide on everyday living the French way. In it Arbor professed the pleasures of simplicity in food and day-to-day living, and because I was finishing my last semester in grad school with a five-month-old, and moving in two weeks; I was grateful for his perspective on how Americans should slow down and adopt more of the French culture.
(For more crafty tidbits, check out my blog: www.thehandmadeproject.com)
Step 1: Take Some Fruit.
In his book, he had the simplest recipe for homemade jam: take a bowlful of mixed berries, toss them in a pot, add enough sugar to your liking, a bit of water, and boil down on a medium heat. Easy. The simplicity of a fruit and sugar combination makes for a jam that suggests (French) country living and since then, I've snubbed Welch's and any other store-bought brands.
Step 2: Toss It in a Pot and Add Some Sugar.
Unlike chef Arbor, I do not have an orchard, or even a balcony garden at my disposal (but I just may tackle the latter one day), and I've substituted the fresh fruit for a frozen bag of mixed berries. In my opinion, very little taste has been lost in the alteration. The steps are the same, except that the frozen berries have enough moisture in them that water is not needed and will only make more of a berry soup than jam.
Step 3: Cook on Medium Low Heat.
I am a bit amazed at the lack of sugar that I put in the mix as I like my jam a bit tart. If you use a lot of sugar in your coffee or Kool-Aid, do yourself the favor and add about 1/2 a cup of sugar to the mix as I do not want to turn you off from fresh jam simply because of its tartness. Gradually decrease the amount each time you make it and I am certain that you will enjoy it with just a coating.
Step 4: Slather on Freshly Toasted Bread
You don't need to watch the jam or stir it constantly. I think that one of the reasons why jam making is a dying tradition is because we have fooled ourselves into believing that anything homemade means that an arduous task lies ahead. Making jam is not difficult at all; I am boiling up a pot right now as I am writing to you.
I am certain that one of most telling characteristics of a good cook is being able to determine a food's readiness by its smell, and right now my house is wafting with a fresh, tangy scent of pie filling. And being the good chef that I am, I will pause to head over to the stove and give the pot a good shake.
Step 5: Nosh.
Okay. No spoons or spatulas are needed until you pour the mixture into a container (I reuse an old jelly jar and am thinking of making my own label) and ladle every last drop of ruby-colored syrup covetously. I do suggest checking the jam once every five or ten minutes to give the pot a good shake over the burner to keep the berries from burning. Once the fruit has cooked down and the mixture is the consistency of the jam of your dreams (smooth or chunky), take the pot off the heat and let cool.
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65 Comments
14 years ago on Step 5
How long will this stay fresh? Do you keep it refridgerated?
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
My approach for homemade jams/preserves has been to freeze them in 8-ounce plastic containers. (The rectangular ones pack into the freezer better than round ones.) I've kept them in the freezer for a year this way with no problems... just long enough for the next batch of fruit to ripen. <smile/>
If you don't have sufficient cold storage space, and you're making more than a small batch (I have about four gallons of assorted berries, also in my freezer, waiting to be cooked down), then it's worth considering learning proper canning technique. Canning is also useful if you want to be able to give your preserves as gifts without having to explain that they must be refrigerated _immediately_. I'm planning to learn simply because I like the idea of being able to keep at least a few jars for longer times without tying up freezer space; there's something comforting about the idea of having a bit of a specific summer stored away on your pantry shelf.
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
You do not need canning to keep jam.
Its sugar content is high enough to just pour it hot into cans, place the screwing lid on and your done.
It keep for years that way. No need to waist energy with a fridge or a freezer.
Even if you get a little mold (which should not happen before 1 year), just scoop it out, the rest will be fine.
The other note is, why French jam. Jam is made the same way all over the world, isn't it?
Reply 14 years ago on Step 5
Hello...
I've kept a batch of this jam in the fridge for about a week and it didn't turn. I think you'll find that you'll gobble it up before it goes bad! I wouldn't recommend trying to keep it for longer than a week.
Happy cooking,
Traci Hudson, My House Boutique
Reply 13 years ago on Step 5
Homemade jam should keep in the fridge just as long as store bought jam. Between all the sugar and the acidity from the fruit it is well preserved. The only benefit you get from canning is the vacuum which is broken as soon as you open the store bought one anyway.
Reply 13 years ago on Step 5
NoFiller,
You're right!
12 years ago on Introduction
I made some of this with mixed berries last night, thinking I was going to give jars away to friends. Then I tried it. I now have three jars of jam I'm hoarding for myself and nothing to give away. Delicious!
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Thanks! This jam really is tasty. I look forward to berry season and am going to try and can a bunch in the summer. Maybe then I'll have enough to share with others ;)
13 years ago on Step 2
The frozen fruit is a great idea. For one you can get a mixed bag as you suggest for a delicious flavor. Secondly, frozen fruits are actually fresher than store bought fresh fruit because they are picked when ripe then frozen. "Fresh" fruit is picked before it is ripe so it's not actually ripe when you get it, more like aged off the tree, vine, bush, whatever.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
very true. for example bananas are picked when green and ripen during shipping. they sometimes spray them with chemicals to prolong/hasten the ripening until they get to where they're going... icky
not to mention the cost difference between fresh and frozen berries D=
13 years ago on Introduction
I made this with frozen berries from the supermarket that I would usually use for smoothies.I made it in a heartbeat because I was craving some jam, but couldn't be bothered to go out to buy some. I like mine smooth so I whizzed it with my stick blender, and I added 1 tsp worth of agar powder to prevent it from being too runny (cheating, I know) and the texture turned out exquisite. Thank you for this easy to follow instructable!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Yea! I'm glad you enjoyed it. ;)
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
I've made this jam 3 times now, each time experimenting with the textures. Love it, love it, LOVE IT!
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Yea!
14 years ago on Introduction
Thanks for your effort in producing this Instructable. I enjoyed it. When I was growing up my Mum always made jam. We lived in the country so it was almost necessary to prevent our fruit from going to waste. I have always preferred the home made over the store bought stuff. My wife makes this sort of thing regularly to be pored hot over pancakes for breakfast and I love it. Fresh hot berry jam (or sauce) on pancakes with vanilla yoghurt. Yumm! Anyway, I have one constructive feedback type comment and I hope you don't mind. The one thing that is different between your recipe and my Mum's is that she always boiled the mixture quite furiously toward the end. She would test a drop of the mixture every minute on a cold plate. When the drops of mixture started to form a skin, and thicken, as they hit the plate she would then turn the heat off. This was the point at which she new the jam would set when it was pored into jars. Straight away the hot jam went into jars and the lids were fitted. If the jam didn't ever get to the point where it would set then she would cool it off, add some more sugar (or occasionally jam setter) and try again. The jam would easily keep for over six months and was always thick and spreadable. Thanks again.
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Nice Instructable, I like the simplicity and ease of it. I did want to add a little bit to Fielding Blue's comment because I make jam the way his Mum's was made. (although I am rethinking that a little now :-)
If you intend to keep your jam on shelves rather than in the refrigerator you must seal it in canning jars in a boiling water bath, otherwise they will spoil very quickly. There are a couple 'ables about canning or check the website National center for home food preservation which is filled with helpful info on canning with recipes for jams sauces, pie fillings etc. including the advised boiling times for canning in jars as it varies depending on fruit, altitude etc
Reply 13 years ago on Introduction
Great addition!
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
This is a really great suggestion. I will make sure to try it next time as I would love to keep all of that lovely jam for longer than a week or two!
13 years ago on Step 4
Nicely done! I make apple sauce the same way, but I peel the apples and throw in some cinnamon. Pretty pictures. Thanks for sharing.
14 years ago on Introduction
I tried this and of course, just like everyone else, it was awesome. Tasted better than store bought. I made mine with organic sugar and berries, so my jam turned out organic! I loved it! Thanks so much