Week 2
It’s official: I’ve taken my first step into the world of canning, and what better way to kick things off than with a sticky, sweet adventure of jam-making? For my first batch, I went bold, choosing not one but two recipes—Saskatoon Berry Jam and Cranberry Raspberry (CraZZ-Berry) Jam.
But before I got to the business of boiling fruit and sealing jars, I found myself on TikTok (as one does), searching for inspiration. Instead, I stumbled upon a treasure trove of canning jam fails—and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to prepare myself. Watching jars explode, jams not setting, and sticky, fruit-coated kitchens provided exactly the kind of comic relief I needed to jump in with both feet. It was a much-needed reminder that no matter how messy things get, it’s all part of the process—and, well, at least, it makes for a good story!
Armed with humour, a healthy dose of reality, and a desire to avoid becoming the next viral canning disaster, I dove headfirst into my first attempt at making jam. Spoiler alert: it was a sticky success. Well, mostly.
Preparation: Recipes, Ingredients, and a Heap of Frozen Berries
The first step in this grand jam experiment was gathering all the ingredients. Thanks to my last canning fail with pickles, I had many jars and seals gathering dust in the basement, ready for use. As Bob Ross would say, “There are no mistakes, just happy accidents.” This left me only needing a couple of ingredients to pick up from the grocery store, such as powder, sugar-free pectin and white sugar- what an inexpensive hobby I chose! Feeling good and like I was off to a great start, I grabbed the bag of Saskatoon berries that had been chilling in my freezer from our camping trips this summer and some frozen cranberries and raspberries (local and organic) I scrounged up from friends, then got to it.
After reading through the Bernardin Complete Book of Home Preserving, I realized I had no idea what I was in for. Some recipes called for pectin, others didn’t, and then there was the whole “to add lemon juice or not” mystery—apparently, it’s more than just adding flavour! There was also the case of whether or not to use fresh or frozen berries. This caused a panic and got me wondering if I needed to make another trip to the grocery store. Doh! Then, there were the new vocabulary terms. What does Hard Boil and Sheeting even mean!?
For the first jam recipe, I chose one from the Bernadin Book that I ordered online. The first thing I noticed was that this recipe did not contain pectin or lemon juice. This seemed odd to me because I just assumed that all jam contained gelatin. Notice how I used the word “gelatin”? Another assumption I had was that pectin is gelatin, and it’s not! Pectin is actually a naturally occurring plant-based thickener, unlike gelatin, which is an animal protein. It is also important to note that depending on the type of fruits you choose to make jam from, you may or may not add pectin.
Another important component of using pectin is the addition of lemon juice, or an acidic ingredient. This not only helps to balance the flavour profile but it also helps the pectin to dissolve and set the jam properly.
Another important part of the jam-making process is how and whether it is cooked properly. I had known this already but thought it was important to prevent the jam from spoiling. As I learned by listening to podcasts, reading the Bernardin canning book, and talking to local jam makers, it is necessary to ensure that the jam sets up properly after the canning process, especially if you are not adding pectin. One of the standard terms for this cooking process is “hard boil.” This basically means putting the burner on its highest setting and boiling so hard that it keeps bubbling even while stirring for the specific amount of time stated in the recipe. This is a step that cannot be missed or done incorrectly. Another term used in making jam is “sheeting.” This is what you look for to ensure the jam has been hard-boiled long enough. It is a double safety measure in case your stove doesn’t cook hot enough or you’re cheap like me and don’t want to purchase a food thermometer. Sheeting refers to what the hot jam does on a metal spoon. When dipping the spoon into the hot liquid and holding it sideways, the liquid will create a “sheet” on the spoon surface and “sheets” off the spoon versus dropping off in clumps. This is when you know the jam is ready to go into the jars.
CraZZ-Berry Jam: A Hot Sticky Success (Eventually)
The cranberry-raspberry jam was the first batch I tackled. The fact that my berries had been frozen made me worry that the jam would not set up properly, so this led to doing some more research. After a quick Google search, I was still left feeling unsure, but I was at a point of no return.
I threw the berries into the pot, and after adding the sugar, I cranked up the heat. Without pectin to help with the thickening, I had to rely even more on the boiling process and the sheet test to figure out when it was done. Hard boiling is the key to thickening this jam, so I watched as my fruit concoction bubbled away, turning into a sea of crimson chaos.
I waited, and I boiled, and stirred, and did it some more. At some point, I began to feel like the jam was mocking me as it left burn marks all over my exposed arm. The sheet test failed a few times, and I think it was because I overestimated how many frozen berries I needed for the jam, which meant doubling the recipe and cooking time. Instead of standing in front of a hot burner for 10 minutes, it turned into nearly 30 minutes of vigorous stirring and sweating! Eventually, I finally saw that glorious sheet of hot liquid run off the spoon, signalling that my jam was good to go. Did I actually pull this off?
Saskatoon Berry Jam: The Pectin Challenge
Next up is the Saskatoon berry jam, which I hoped would require less elbow grease and time than the other jam. For this jam, I found a recipe that called for pectin in the Bernardin canning book. It turns out that pectin is what makes your jam thick, like actual jam, instead of fruit soup. Not all fruits have enough of it, which is why, in this case, it is needed. Because of the cranberries in the previous recipe, they’re naturally high in pectin, which is why I didn’t need to add pectin and had to hard boil for so long.
Processing the Jars: The Moment of Truth
Now that my jams were done, it was time to can them. I had my trusty canning jars all lined up and ready to go, sterilized and waiting. I sterilized the jars, seals and closures by running them through the dishwasher (no extra bleach flavours this time). Before using the jars, they needed to be placed in hot water (180 degrees) and left there for at least 10 minutes up until the time to fill them. This kills off any dangerous microorganisms and prevents thermal shock (jar breakage). As I prepared to start adding the hot jam into the hot jars, I started feeling like I was truly stepping into the old-world art of preservation. I realized how much time and effort goes into doing this, making the experience extra special. I carefully ladled the molten-hot jam into the jars and wiped the rims clean because nobody wants a sticky disaster when opening their jam; this also ensured the seals would set properly. I then put on the closures (finger tight).
Next, I processed the jars in a water bath canner. After placing the jars, I cranked up the heat and put the lid on so the water would boil. Once I could hear the cans jingling in their boiling water bath, I turned on the timer for ten minutes. This is what was called for in the recipe. As I learned, 10 minutes is standard time for jams and jellies. Not 1 hour like I did with the pickles! Once the timer went off, I removed the canner from the heat and let it sit for an additional 5 minutes.
Time to remove the cans from the water bath and let them do their thing! As I removed the jars and set them on the counter, I was satisfied to hear the ping of the lids sealing as they cooled. Hearing that noise felt like the final victory lap after this entire adventure!
The Learning Experience: Sweet Success (and a Little Mess)
Making jam was far more of an art than I expected. From learning about the role of pectin, mastering the hard boil, and learning how to sheet test the jam, there were a lot of little details that made a big difference. The most satisfactory sensation was checking the jars the next day, flipping them upside down, and seeing the jam was set up and firm, not a soupy disaster. The cranberry-raspberry jam was tangy and sweet, while the Saskatoon berry jam had a more earthy, mellow flavour that felt old-fashioned and comforting. Both turned out great, even if the process was a little messy and it TOOK FOREVER- I will now be hoarding my precious.
All in all, my first jam-making experience was a sweet success! Sure, there were moments of second-guessing and a sticky stained countertop and floor, but the satisfaction of popping open a jar of my homemade jam was worth every burn acquired during the process. Now, with jars of delicious homemade jam on my shelf, I feel ready to tackle the next challenge in my canning journey.
Stay tuned for the next sticky adventure!
Resources:
TikTok Fails
Pod Cast
https://thedomesticwildflower.com/perfectly-preserved-episode-6-pectin/
Community Resource
https://www.thewanderingmarket.com/
Hi Robin!
This sounds like a great journey so far! My mom and dad always grow a huge garden – my dad is in charge of the garden and my mom is in charge of the canning, it works out great! I also would love to learn how to can and definitely will one day! My mom has canned pickles, carrots, raspberries, and salsa so far this fall! It is a great way to keep your food from the garden and something that has been used in my family for years!
Great post!
Caitlyn Hartman
Once you figure out the perfect canning technique for all of these wonderful things make sure you post the “how to” on here so I can steal it haha 🙂
I am so happy that your jam canning turned out to be a success! My Dad does some canning (typically beans and pickles, eggs and beets at one point, and he recently did some haskap berry jam), and I have heard how frustrating it can be when it does not work out. I hope your good luck persists for this next week!
The crazz-berry jam, sounds so delicious!! I hope that you post some pictures when you make it! I would love to try making this at home sometime!
This is awesome! My grandma makes crab apple jelly every year and this reminds me of her process! Side note I’ve always wanted to try to make pickles! So if you need some inspiration that would be fun! I’ll have to follow along and see what recipes work if you end up making them.