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Preserving the Summer Harvest: Fruit Jams

By Amber Pollei, June 28, 2012 | More posts by Amber Pollei

At some point in my mid-twenties, I began to hone my grandmotherly skill set. I momentarily took up knitting, briefly considered macramé and baked pattypan squash pie from a generations-old recipe. Maybe you’ve never cared about crocheting granny squares, but I’m betting that you’ve at least wondered, “Why is strawberry jam so delicious?” or “What on Earth do I do with all these peaches, about to go bad on the counter?”

Good news — making jam in your kitchen is easier than you think. Canning and preserving fresh fruits is a fantastic way to make the seasonal surplus last. And it’s really not all that difficult. In fact, in a tiny windowless kitchen, I singlehandedly processed and preserved about twenty pounds of fresh figs in one (very ambitious) day. It’s something I include on my resume.

Since that first foray into preserving, I’ve learned a thing or two. Most importantly, small batches (using a mere pound of fruit) are a wonderful thing.

Quick preserves, like the recipes listed below, are an easy way to put up the harvest. Even better, they eliminate the fear of processing the jars in a hot water bath. Put away the notion that you need a cadre of ingredients and tools. Even a novice cook can step foot into the kitchen and preserve the bounty.

Easy Strawberry Jam: With just two necessary ingredients, you can’t go wrong! Savor the summer’s most wonderful berry (that’s my humble opinion, anyway) and impress your friends with this jam. Just don’t tell them how easy it was to make.

Cherry Skillet Jam: Chances are, if cherries are in season, you’ll have everything you need on-hand to make this wonderful recipe that calls for very little added sugar.

Quick Berry or Peach Preserves: Mix and match berries, or make peach preserves with this easy recipe.

Should you decide to try peaches, here’s my favorite trick for peeling and pitting them, along with some step-by-step photos.

Careful Canning Processing canned goods to make them shelf-stable involves much more work than the quick method, but it means your bounty will be shelf-stable for up to a year, depending on the recipe. There are a number of wonderful books and blogs out there to guide you through home canning.

A few of my favorite resources are:

With these great resources at hand, and after a few lessons with a seasoned preserving pro, I learned to process my own homemade peach preserves. You can see step-by-step photos at Sustainable Diet. If you are interested in learning how to can, I highly recommend taking a class in your city or learning with someone who’s been doing it for years. (In my case, I learned from my mom — who had been taught by her mom, and so on.) You can’t be too careful when it comes to home preserving!

Do you have any canning or preserving tips to share?

Peach jam photo by Aubrey L. Stopa Photography.