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Uncooked Jam

Source: University of Wisconsin

Blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries work well in uncooked jam. You must store all uncooked jams in the refrigerator or freezer. You can hold the unopened Jam for several weeks in a refrigerator and up to a year in the freezer. If you keep them at room temperature they will mold or ferment in a short time. Once you open the container, use the jam within 3 weeks.

Always follow the pectin munufacturer's instructions but the basic recipe for uncooked jam is three cups crushed berries (about one-and-one-half quarts of berries), five cups sugar, one package powdered pectin and one cup cold water.

Sort and wash fully ripe fruit. Drain. Remove caps and stems from berries and crush. If you have fruit frozen, the preliminary steps for preparation have already been done. The label you put on the container of fruit should state how much sugar you added to the fresh fruit before freezing.

To make the jam: measure three cups of prepared fruit into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, mix well, and let stand for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Dissolve the pectin in the cold water, bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Add pectin solution to the fruit and sugar mixture. Stir for two minutes.

Pour the jam into freezer containers or canning jars, leaving one-half inch head space. Cover the containers and let stand for 24 hours. This quantity makes about seven half-pint jars or freezer containers.

If the jam is too firm, you can soften it by stirring. If it tends to separate, stirring will blend it again. If it is too soft, bring the jam to a boil and it will thicken as it cools.

Additional information on this topic is included in the Extension bulletin HE-172, "Jellies, Jams and Preserves," which is available at your county office of the NDSU Extension Service.

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