Jam

A couple of weeks ago, Betsy and I drove south for an hour, and found some "local" blackberries.  The climate in the Lewiston valley is very different, so while blackberries won't grow here, they thrive down there.  So we picked lots and lots of berries.  I got eight pounds.  I saved some for pies, but some was destined for the jam jars.  I'd been freezing my raspberries all summer, too, so I was finally ready to unload my freezer.  The girls went to Betsy's house for the morning, and I made jam!

Six batches of Raspberry Blackberry, Raspberry Cherry, and plain ol' Raspberry jam.

Each batch was a little different, so I wanted to do a controlled study and see which batch I liked best.

I thought the second batch was the tastiest.

Then of course I had to make some labels. 

I've only ever made low-sugar jam before.  The pectin is made to set with half the sugar as regular pectin.  I love the full flavor of the fruit; slightly tart, not drowned out by too much sugar. 

My pantry is happy right now.