I love to can jam. I know canning can be intimidating to some, but it really is simple as long as you follow the guidelines. Especially when making jam, since you don’t use a pressure canner, but a boiling water bath canner. I wanted to share a good website for beginners, or those who haven’t taken a class in awhile and don’t know the most current safety guidelines. The National Center for Home Food Preservation is a great resource. I love their book, So Easy To Preserve, since it has safe recipes and lots of info on canning everything you can think of.
When canning, always remember that what was once considered safe may not be now. For instance, steam canners, while you can still buy them, do not kill harmful bacteria. And your great aunt Gertrude’s salsa recipe is probably not safe either. Always use a trusted source.
These include So Easy To Preserve, along with the recipes on their website
The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving, or the Ball Blue Book Guide To Preserving (Note: You may have an older Ball Blue book, these are outdated and contain some unsafe recipes)
Between those three books I can always find what I’m looking for.
But if you have questions, give your local extension office a call, they are always helpful too, and usually offer some canning classes you can attend for a small fee.
I talk about my favorite pectin here, and they also have a hotline that is super helpful.
So as strawberry season comes to an end I’m looking ahead to making freezer raspberry jam, our favorite. : )
