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Top Five Jam Recipes 

 Originally Written: August 28, 2009

By  Hanna Trafford

large_fruits-sel-aeginaThere is a plenty of fruits this time of the year to choose from to make some easy and delicious jams. Here are my top 5 recipes for you, but before you get to them, please read some tips on making jams:

Tips for Making Jams:

  1. Select firm, ripe but never over-ripe fruit
  2. Wash fruit in cold, running water
  3. Remove hulls,. cores, pits, seeds or skins; leave whole, slice or chop as directed in the recipe, discarding all spoiled portions
  4. Weigh or measure fruit and sugar accurately
  5. Cook in small batches and do not double the recipe unless indicated
  6. Combine fruit and sugar and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally
  7. When sugar is dissolved, cook rapidly (boil) and stir frequently to prevent sticking
  8. Jams will thicken as they cool
  9. Pour hot jam into sterilized jars, leaving 1/2″ head space. Jars should be hot and dry when being filled.
  10. Seal all fruit products in air tight home canning jars. If you use ordinary household jars, seal with melted, hot paraffin wax. Use only enough paraffin to make a layer about 1/8″ thick.  Prick any bubbles that form in the paraffin wax.
  11. Store in dark, dry and reasonably cool area.

Top Five Jam Recipes:

Spiced Peach Jam
Spiced Peach Jam

1. Spiced Peach Jam:

2 cups of crushed, peeled peaches

2 tablespoons of water

1-1/2 cups of sugar

1/4 teaspoon of whole cloves

1/4 teaspoon of whole allspice

1/4 cinnamon stick

Combine crushed peaches and water, cook gently for 10 minutes. Add sugar and slowly bring to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Add whole cloves, all spice and cinnamon stick, tied in a cheesecloth bag to jam during cooking; remove just before pouring jam into jars. Cook rapidly until thick, about 15 minutes; stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Pour hot into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Raspberry Jam
Raspberry Jam

2. Raspberry Jam:

9 cups of crushed raspberries

6 cups of sugar

Combine crushed raspberries and sugar. Bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly to or almost to jellying point, depending on whether a firm or soft jam is desired. Pour boiling hot into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Yellow Plum Jam
Yellow Plum Jam

3. Yellow Plum Jam:

6 cups of chopped yellow plums

4-1/2 cups of sugar

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 cup of water

Combine all ingredients and bring slowly to boiling point, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly almost to jelly8ing point – takes about 20 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour boiling hot into sterilized jars and seal.

Peach and Cherry Jam
Peach and Cherry Jam

4. Peach and Cherry Jam:

6 lbs. of peaches

3 oranges

5 lbs. of sugar

1/2 cup of lemon juice

1 bottle (6 oz.) of commercial pectin

1 jar of Maraschino cherries

Peel and slice peaches. Slice oranges thinly using skin and pulp. Combine peaches, oranges and sugar. Tie peach stones in a cheesecloth bag and add to peaches with syrup from cherries. Simmer for 3 hours; add lemon juice and simmer about 5 more minutes. Remove peach stones and add chopped cherries and pectin. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Apple Blueberry Jam
Apple Blueberry Jam

5. Apple Blueberry Jam:

3 cups peeled chopped apples

1 1/2 cups  crushed blueberries

1/4 cup lemon juice

5 cups  granulated sugar

2 pouches CERTO Liquid Pectin

Measure prepared fruit into a large saucepan. Add lemon juice and sugar, mix well. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in liquid pectin. Continue stirring 5 minutes, skimming foam. Pour quickly into warm, sterilized jars filling up to 1/4- inch from rim and seal.

Jellying Point Test:

Thermometer test: Check boiling point of water with candy thermometer. Boil jams until temperature reaches 9 degrees above the boiling point of water.

Spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into boiling syrup; raise and tilt spoon until syrup runs from the side. When jellying point is reached, liquid will not flow in a stream but will divide into distinct drops which run together and drop off the spoon as one sheet.

Hope you enjoy these tips and recipes – please let me know how they turned out for you – your comments and suggestions are always very much appreciated.

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Hanna Trafford


Hanna is the mother of two grown sons Dan and Dusan Nedelko, and is also the Grandmother to Jax, Cohen and Mila. She is the lead editor of Mama Knows and is hoping to create an exchange of communications with other grandmothers, mothers and daughters - giving everyone the opportunity to learn and share about everything that is "Mama"

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  • Please help I have made candy apple jelly two times and it does not jell . Can I cook it again and do I need to add more certo pectin.

    • Hi Linda!
      Not sure what you did originally – maybe you can give me more info (like ratios of ingredients you used) Honestly – I don;t think you can hurt it by cooking it again – I have never done, but just thinking about it that is what I would try. Let me know what you did and I will do my best to help out!

    • Thanks so much! Hope my site will continue to help you out and if there is something you need to know or information you are looking for, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

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