Canning food at home can be an intimidating process, what with that whole fear of death from a spoiled batch.
Luckily, the freezer offers a fast, easy and fear-free form of canning homemade jams that anyone can handle.
Unlike traditional canning in which jars of food are submerged in boiling water to create a seal and kill off dangerous bacteria, freezer canning does not produce shelf-stable foods. In other words, they must be refrigerated or frozen.
Here’s how it works:
Fruit is chopped or crushed, then mixed with sugar and special freezer pectin (widely available at grocers).
The fruit then is jarred and frozen. As needed, the jars can be moved to the refrigerator, where they will thaw into a thick jam. In the freezer, the jams keep for a year. Once thawed, they last about three weeks in the refrigerator.
Freezer jams can be either cooked or raw. Uncooked freezer jams taste strongly of fresh fruit. Cooked versions have a more traditional jamlike taste.
The only special equipment needed are containers that hold up well in the freezer. Canning supply companies sell special plastic freezer lids that fit traditional glass canning jars.
BLUEBERRY-LEMON FREEZER JAM
6cups fresh blueberries
11/2cups sugar
2tablespoons lemon juice
11.59-ounce package freezer pectin
In a large saucepan, combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice. Set over medium-high heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. At first, it will seem as though there is not enough liquid; this is normal.
Once the berries are boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook until the berries have mostly popped and the jam is very liquid and dark blue. Remove from the heat and let cool until just barely warm.
Once the jam has cooled, mix in the pectin and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle the jam into jars, cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Freeze until needed.
Makes about five 8-ounce jars
PEACH-MANGO FREEZER JAM
1large mango, peeled, pitted and diced
4medium peaches, pitted and diced (peaches also can be peeled, if desired)
11/2cups sugar
1tablespoon lemon juice
1/2teaspoon cinnamon
1tablespoon grated fresh ginger
11.59-ounce package freezer pectin
In a large saucepan, combine the mango, peaches, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon and ginger. Set over medium-high heat and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. At first, it will seem as though there is not enough liquid; this is normal.
Once the mixture is boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the fruit is very soft and broken down, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool until just barely warm.
Once the jam has cooled, mix in the pectin and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Ladle the jam into jars, cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes. Freeze until needed.
Makes about five 8-ounce jars.
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