Easy jamming.

With summer fruit season well in swing I want to share this secret, making jam is easy!
You don't need to slave away in a hot kitchen over a huge canning kettle for hours with lots of specialized equipment to make great fruit jam.

All you need is a small amount of fresh fruit, sugar, a pan and a jar with a lid. You won't be canning this jam, just making enough for you and your family to enjoy for the next few months.
If it lasts that long ;-)

Here's the basic recipe one cup fruit to one half cup sugar. If you are using fruit that oxidizes add a teaspoon or so of lemon juice. Depending on your tastes you can add more or less sugar. Sugar does several things besides making the jam sweet, it helps it to jell and helps to preserve it.

Place your fruit and sugar in a sauce pan, you can mash the fruit a bit first to release the juices. On the stove turn the burner to medium high and begin to stir the mixture. Keep stirring until it comes to  boil you can't stir down. For a one cup of fruit recipe you only need it to boil 1 or 2 minutes. Berry jams are very quick, other fruit may need a minute of two more. Pour the jam into any recycled jar with a lid and refrigerate.

That's it, yes you have just made jam !! It's that simple. Feel free to combine fruits, berry combinations are great like strawberry/raspberry or blueberry/blackberry. Or try one of my favorites: plum and boysenberry. Peaches are fun to mix with berries...you get the idea. Use it on ice cream, plain yogurt, with glazes, cake filling or just on toast.

 Your homemade jam should store for at least 3 to 4 months in the fridge.