I wanted to try a new kind of jam, and I found a recipe for Pear Jam. It has a really high sugar to fruit ratio, but I decided to try it out anyways. It turned out beautifully! Here's the recipe (from the Ball Blue Book of preserving)
Peach or Pear Jam
1 quart finely chopped, pitted/cored, peeled peaches or pears
7 1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1 pouch liquid pectin
Combine fruit, sugar and lemon juice in a large saucepot. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir in liquid pectin. Return to a rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary. Ladle hot jam into hot hars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.
Recipe Variation: Add 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice and 1 cinnamon stick tied in a spice bag to jam during cooking. Remove spice bag before filling jars.
I don't use a boiling-water canner. I keep my jars hot in the oven and the lids hot in a not quite simmering pot of water on the stove. I've never had a problem with them not sealing properly. I didn't use the recipe variation either.
I had also made some chokecherry jelly abd applesauce the other day. I tag everthing because, even things seem obvious, after time I tend to forget exactly what each thing is. | 