My first attempt at making jam seems to have been successful, especially if I go by the reactions of some of the people had when I gave some to them (hellooooo Patra!).

Ever since the pickles, I’ve been wanting to try jarring more foods. Still wanting to keep it fairly simple, I figured a jam would be a good way to go. Fruits aren’t really in season anymore, but I did have a big bag of frozen strawberries and some frozen raspberries leftover from the summer. A strawberry/raspberry jam just isn’t that exciting, so I decided to follow this recipe and add some heat to it by including a nice amount of jalapeno peppers.

The end result was wonderful! I enjoyed the addition of the raspberries, as I found that the jam was very sweet, and the tartness of the raspberries probably cut the sweetness a bit (in doing some research on jam-making, it seems you shouldn’t try to reduce the amount of sugar in recipes, as that will affect the consistency of it, usually making the jam runny – any input on this?). I like things HOT, so I added more jalapeno peppers, seeds and all, than was suggested by the recipe. The jam was definitely hot, but not overbearingly so. The sweetness helps, and the heat seemed to dissipate a little over time. The end result was a sweet, fruity and spicy-hot jam.

This jam is great with cheeses, and I couldn’t stop piling it on to any cheese I could get my hands onto…Apparently, it’s a great addition to baked brie…since I have away the jars I made and only had a bit left for myself, I can only say that I definitely believe it and am looking forward to making this, and other jams, again and again!

*I ended up buying a liquid pectin, and since the recipe called for powdered pectin, I had to look up if you could use them interchangeably. It turns out that you can, but you have to change the amount. Apparently, you also have to add liquid pectin in at a different point than you do with powdered pectin; you add liquid pectin after you’ve cooked the fruits and with powdered pectin, you add it before or while cooking. Either way, the consistency of my jam was good – not too thick and not too runny, so it worked out for me! The recipe below is my version, using liquid pectin (I also halved the original recipe). Check out the original if you’re using the powdered pectin!

Strawberry Raspberry Jalapeno Jam
adapted from All Recipes

1 ½ cups crushed strawberries
1 cup crushed raspberries
3/4 cup minced jalapeno peppers
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons liquid pectin
3 ½ cups white sugar
4 half pint canning jars with lids and rings

1. Place the crushed strawberries, minced jalapeno pepper, and lemon juice into a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Once simmering, stir in the sugar until dissolved, return to a boil, and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add the liquid pectin.

2. Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Pack the jam into the hot, sterilized jars, filling the jars to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or a thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids, and screw on rings.

3. Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder. Leave a 2 inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

4. Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart. Allow to cool overnight Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

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