Day 6 home from Europe and I am ready to make Jam!
I have been making jam for as long as I can remember, first with my mother as a small child and then about 15 years ago I decided that I needed to try it out for myself. Finding that it was easy I have been making it ever since.
Now, most of my friends and folk I know, also make jams and can super yummy things each year, so I was not sure that this post would be entirely original other then providing for some pretty photos of my jams……
~I love jam~
And then it came to me, inspired by a little book I am reading right now, first written in 1907, called The Bee Master of Warrilow about keeping bees. It is a delightful read because of the special care the author has taken to make every aspect of bee keeping charming and lovely.
One chapter caught my attention though and this was the chapter called “Chloe Among The Bees” or “The Bee Mistress”.
In this chapter the author speaks to a woman bee keeper who says to him right off the bat ” I will show you the bee farm, and let you see what woman have done and are doing in an ideal feminine industry, if you promise to write of us with seriousness”
Now this chapter is one that I intend to dedicate an entire blog post to sometime in the future, but for now this conversation is about to veer off into the land of practicality and money–yes money$$
For you see, woman have been for centuries, creating and making things to sell at market such as bee keeping for honey, making jams, keeping chickens for eggs and the list goes on and on….
AND yet none of these professions{yes I know I am making a HUGE sweeping statement here} have been taken at very seriously as worthy income generators but rather more as hobbies.
This leads me to my latest interest:
How much does it actually cost me to make jam each year?
and
Does it in fact actually save our family any Money?
Ahhh such a questions needs a good answer–and here is the short one
Yes-eventually….
However…….
There is an initial investment, and your family must eat a minimum of 12 or more jars of organic jam in a year to make it worthwhile.
For if you are happy with Safeway brand jam that costs $1.99 a jar, then making your own will never be able to be cost effective nor worth the time it takes to make it-however if you like creative control over flavors and have access to local pick your own berries or better yet a garden, then making your own jams is well worth the effort!
Start up costs:
Set up supplies
First–contrary to what I initially thought there is no need to purchase a large canning pot— if you have a dishwasher or an oven which most folks do. The dishwasher will sterilize your jars in one cycle for you which is great, and the oven will do the same at 250 for 15 min’s or so, but if you think you might like to do other items such as salsa and pickles you will need a pot which will cost about $25.
Jars, lids and screw rings, depending on how many and the size you buy approx $10-$15 per box of 12, BUT these can be re-used from year to year{unless you give them away!}
A proper large heavy bottomed sauce pot, hopefully you have one already, so this should be the largest one you own, as jam can froth up to three times its size when it is boiling. Cost $25.
Also great to have on hand, but not necessary, is a magic canning wand
$4.95
Now for the fruit and sugar–these will vary depending on how much you want to make and how cheap you can get the fruit–if you self pick or buy locally etc…
My costs{this year} were as follows:
4 quarts Organic Blueberries $8.00
6 quarts Organic Strawberries $12.80
6 stalks of rhubarb bought at the local farmers market in early summer and frozen $3.50
6 lemons $2.50
6 boxes of Certo liquid Pectin@ $3.59 each=$21.54-Next year I am switching back to crystals as it is cheaper and makes the jams last longer!
2 lb bag of sugar $3.99 each=$7.98 {yes the evil white kind}
Another thing I discovered too late this year is Certo Light which uses less sugar {By several cups} and more fruit–this is now on my list to try for next year!
1 box of lids for my 500 ml jars $5.95 and one box of 250 ml jars $10.00
So since I already had jars and pots from my first investment, I had lots of jars on hand to use and my cost was much less then last year etc..
My Yield:
Strawberry Rhubarb was seven 250 ml jars of jam, and nine 500 ml jars.
I had less of the Blueberry Lavender at twelve-250ml jars, and two 500ml jars.
The Apple Pie in a jar cost me approx $10.00 for everything and the yield was 4-500ml ml jars and 3 250ml jars{ I did a double batch}
I think that next year this will have to wait until mid Sept when I can self pick my own apples and the weather is cooler.
My total cost to make Fifty one 250ml jars of jam: $83.27{not including my initial investment which was around $60.00 8 years ago}
Total cost to buy the same amount of “Crofters” Organic Jams: which is the brand I like to buy should we {heaven forbid}-ever run out!
They only come in 235ml jars@ $3.99/jar, so I estimated this at 55 jars = $219.45
Enough said!
Now onto the Recipes:
Blueberry Lavender Jam
Before I start I will begin by saying that it is absolutely necessary to have everything prepared and ready to go BEFORE you begin these recipe--specifically the jars sterilized and waiting to be filled-a hard learned lesson over here–as the jam will begin to harden in the pot if left waiting for jam jars to finish boiling!
This jam is my personal favorite and I could eat it all the time without ever getting sick of the flavor.
4 1/2 cups of crushed berries{I like to use my hand Blender}
2 tbsp lavender buds from the garden.
2 tbsp lemon juice
6 cups white sugar -[Using any less then this amount, and the jam will not set]
And later after boiling 2 pouches of Certo liquid pectin
{Certo to be specific}do not mix amounts, use the crystals or change brands, as this will cause the jam to not set properly.
Method:
Put everything in a big pot and bring to a full rolling boil. Once it is boiling let it go for 1 min, then take it off of the heat and add 2 pouches of Certo liquid pectin and stir.
A small Boil.....
And now…..
A harder boil-which eventually froths all the way up to the top of the pot.
Skim off the foam, and pour into your sterilized jars, seal and let set for 12 hours.
Strawberry Rhubarb Jam:
2 cups of blended strawberries{a food processor works super well for this-be careful not to over blend or there will be no lovely chunks left}
1 -1/2 cups of blended rhubarb{ same as above}
6 cups of sugar[Using any less then this amount, and the jam will not set]
And later after boiling 1 pouch of Certo liquid pectin{Certo to be specific}do not mix amounts or brands as this will cause the jam to not set properly.
Method:
Put everything in a big pot and bring to a full rolling boil. Once it is boiling let it go for 1 min, then take it off of the heat and add 1 pouch of Certo liquid pectin and stir.
Fill jars and let set for 12 hours.
Apple Pie in a Jar!
The next recipe is a new one for me, but since my kids are nutters for apples and cinnamon in everything from their pancakes, muffins, and oatmeal, I knew this one was well worth the effort to make!
6 cups of peeled and chopped granny Smith apples
the juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
2 cups of un-sweetned apple juice
2 tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tbsp ground ginger{ginger optional as are any other yummy spices you wish to add such as cardamon, cloves etc…}
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
{Optional: 3/4 cups of raisins or dried cranberries}
1 pouch of Bernardin sugar free pectin crystals
~Voila~Apple Pie in a Jar!
Method:
Place the apples, apple juice, sugar, lemon juice and rind, and vanilla in your pot and bring to a slow boil until the apples look like they have begun to soften.
Take the pot off of the heat and add the pectin, cinnamon and cranberries/raisins if using and stir well.
Place the pot back onto the stove and bring up to a hard boil and allow to boil for at least 3 min’s creating a soft apple pie looking filling.{it will be very runny, but not to worry it will harden up once it cools down in the jars later}
