I’ll admit it. I was afraid of making a mixed berry jam. Then I was inspired. Then I was frustrated. Seems like a lot of emotion for something I could easily pick up in the store, I know, but don’t forget about the challenge. And, that is where I was both determined and totally sucked into the adventure of making this work even if I never ate a bite myself.
I was afraid to make a berry jam because I had never made one before and working with pectin–the stuff that helps jam to, well, jam–was intimidating. Liquid pectin or powder? What was I making? Jam, jelly, compote, or preserve? Truth be told, I’m not much of a jelly person to begin with so again: Why bother? Good question. I was continuously  inspired by others who had successful jams of such original combinations that I figured this was really something I just had to do. How difficult could it be if I read about others who just threw interesting combinations of fruit together?
My frustration set in when I had finally overcome my fear and embraced the inspiration. It was the heat. The peak of berry season was in mid-July when it was about 100 degrees outside and 90 degrees in my kitchen. The online canning community was busy but  the thought of generating more heat and possibly blowing a fuse was not welcoming. So I waited. Then, there were the berries. When asking at what I will affectionately call my local farm stand, Matarazzo’s in Caldwell, about the arrival of berries, I was told that their normal schedule was off as a result of the cold and wet spring we had. So I waited. And waited. When I went back, I had missed it. There were only blueberries and I really wanted to mix the berries. I love raspberries and blackberries and was even willing to add gooseberries if they showed up. So I started looking in grocery stores. There were only strawberries. I had just about given up when a trip to Costco yielded what I was looking for. Fresh raspberries and blueberries. I was ready to overcome my fears. Over the summer I had added some cinnamon first to mixed fresh berries, then to a mixed berry pie and now it just seemed appropriate to add it to my jam. All of a sudden I was having fun– my favorite way to be in the kitchen.
If you are new to canning, I would recommend visiting the Ball canning Web site and our canning basics story from last year. Summer and fall are prime time to preserve fresh fruits and vegetables, but keeping the food safe is very important as the recipes here end up in jars on shelves, not refrigerated.
Cinnamon Mixed Berry Jam
Ingredients:
6 cups crushed mixed berries, rinsed
4-5 cups sugar
A few cinnamon sticks in a spice bag
1 package of dry fruit pectin (I use Ball)
What’s Next:
- Prepare your canner, jars and lids.
- Mash the berries. I found it best to do this in batches using a potato masher and a pastry blender.
- Pour the mashed berries into a large pot along with cinnamon in spice bag. Add the pectin and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, add all of the sugar at once and return to a boil. Allow the mixture to get to the point where it “boils hard” for one minute. (This is when even while stirring it is still boiling)
- Pour into clean, hot jars leaving about 1/2″ of space at the top. Add lids and screw on bands until tight, being careful to not over tighten.
- Add jars to rack and place in canner. Process for 10 minutes and remove to cool.
- Jams and jellies can take up to 24 hours to set so don’t worry if they don’t seem jelly-like immediately.
Notes from my experience:
This was so much easier than I expected that I”m inspired to try more.
I tasted the jam toward the end of cooking to be sure the amount of sugar was alright. It tasted just like the filling of the Mixed Berry Pie I made this summer.
How to use your jam:
I (ahem) ate a bunch right off the spoon.
Top a cracker with goat cheese and some jam- just delicious.
Serve it with Belgian Waffles and whipped cream.
This one was really delicious, and yes I ate the whole thing. Layer a brownie, some whipped cream and then the jam.
Serve with shortbread cookies.
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