Tag: preserving

Image of hand holding jam in a jar.

No Sugar Added Blackberry Jam

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No sugar added blackberry jam is so easy to make! And it’s even easier if you own a Ball freshTECH Jam & Jelly Maker (J&J Maker for short)! I LOVE my J&J Maker! But I was tired of being limited by the few recipes that come with the Jam & Jelly Maker, so I decided to experiment. This recipe is a Bernardin recipe and you can find the link here. But, if you want to learn how to make it in the Jam & Jelly Maker, keep reading!

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Why Use the Jam & Jelly Maker?

The Jam & Jelly Maker is so easy to use because it stirs for you! It also doesn’t require that you use your stovetop, which is a bonus if you work full time and do all of your cooking, canning, and baking on the weekends like me! It is so nice to be able to keep a large burner clear for lunch, dinner, or whatever I’m meal-prepping!

If you are interested in another way to save stovetop space or if you have a glass stovetop and don’t want to put a heavy canner on top of it, I highly recommend purchasing either a steam canner or the Ball freshTECH Electric Water Bath Canner and Multi-Cooker! The awesome thing about this canner is that is can easily hold 12-14 half-pint jars!

What Do I Need to Can?

The simple answer is that you need jars, lids, bands, and a large pot that will allow water to cover your jars by 1-2 inches. However, I do have some favorite canning tools that make life easier. You can find the list here, and below is a list of the tools I use in the video.

How to Make No Sugar Added Blackberry Jam in Jam & Jelly Maker

Instructions

  1. First, mash 4 cups of rinsed blackberries.
  2. Prepare other ingredients–1 cup unsweetened fruit juice and 49 grams of Ball or Bernardin Low or No Sugar Pectin.
  3. Sprinkle pection on bottom of Jam & Jelly Maker, spread blackberry mash evenly over the top, and add in fruit juice.
  4. Press “Jam” and press “Enter.” The J&J Maker will start stirring.
  5. After 4 minutes, the J&J Maker will beep. If you are adding any sweetener, pour it evenly over the top of the mixture. If you’re not adding any sweetener put the lid on.
  6. For the remaining 17 minutes, watch the J&J Maker carefully. If at any time it looks like the mixture may overflow, take the lid off and allow the mixture to cool.
  7. The J&J Maker will beep again when it is finished. Take the lid off and either store jam in refrigerator or continue with canning instructions.

    8. Canning Directions

  8. Fill clean, warm jars with jam mixture, making sure to leave 1/4-inch headspace.
  9. Debubble and double-check headspace. Add more jam, if needed.
  10. Clean rim off to ensure no jam is on it.
  11. Put a clean lid on and screw on band until fingertip tight.
  12. Put in water bath canner.
  13. Fill remaining jars until jam mixture is gone.
  14. Water bath process for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
  15. Remove jars and set on towel or wooden cutting board to cool for 12-24 hours.
  16. Remove bands and check seals. If any jars failed to seal, store in refrigerator and use first.
  17. Wash jars and store without bands on.
Image of 6 jars filled with various color fillings.

Canning Supplies I Love!

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If you’re serious about canning, check out this list of my must-have canning supplies! Now, you don’t necessarily need any of these items (except maybe the jar lifter), but they sure make life easier and canning projects go by faster!

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What Canning Supplies Do I Absolutely NEED?

The simple answer is that you need jars, lids, bands, and a large pot that will allow water to cover your jars by 1-2 inches for water bath canning. That’s really all you need!

Video

But, after probably hundreds of canning projects, I have discovered a few canning supplies that are completely worth the investment if canning is going to be a part of your preserving plan. By “investment,” I don’t mean to imply that any of these canning supplies are necessarily pricey. But they do have a cost and take up precious space in your kitchen or wherever you store your canning items.

For me, these are the items that are worth spending money on and giving space up for!

  • Cherry Pitter – If you plan on using fresh cherries for a canning project, you’ll be so happy you bought this cherry pitter! It pits 6 cherries at a time! I love it for making Chocolate Cherry Preserves, which is one of my family’s favorites!
  • Jar Lifter – This might be the one canning supply you actually do need. It helps you put jars in and take jars out of boiling water. If you don’t have a jar lifter, I don’t know how you’ll be able to remove the jars after processing!
  • Heat Resistant Gloves – These aren’t really a necessity either, but I use them almost every single time I can and they have definitely kept me from getting burned! If you plan on using reusable canning lids, such as the Tattler reusable lids, then I really do recommend getting some of these gloves. Tattler reusable lids require you to tighten the bands after your jars have processed, and these help protect your hands from those hot jars.
  • Bottle for vinegar to wipe rims of jars – This one is definitely not necessary, but it has helped me save time, money, and a LOT of messes! Gone are the days of trying to carefully dump vinegar on a paper towel just to have half of of the bottle dump all over the countertop, the floor, and me!
  • Canning Funnel – This canning funnel is my favorite because it has headspace measurements on it! It’s also very heavy duty, which is a must if you’re not going to use stainless steel, as you’ll be working with super hot jams and jellies at times!