Unusual Jam Recipes
This month's notes: July 2022: Stored US apples are still available. See your state's crop availability calendar for more specific dates of upcoming crops.
Valentine's Day - February 14 - See this website for Valentines Day history, facts and top picks for fast, easy, inexpensive gifts for the man, woman or children in your life!
Easter will be April 16, 2017 - if you want to take your children to a free Easter egg hunt - see our companion website to find a local Easter Egg hunt!
And we have home canning, preserving, drying and freezing directions. You can access recipes and other resources from the drop down menus at the top of the page or the site search. If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write me! Also make your own ice cream; see How to make ice cream and ice cream making equipment and manuals. Have fun, eat healthier and better tasting, and save money by picking your own locally grown fruit and vegetables, and then using our easy directions

Other Jam Recipes
Below are a number of unusual but tested jam recipes. I haven't tried all of them myself, as many of them require exotic ingredients (or just don't appeal to me). But if you like them, let me know how well they work for you!
Chokecherry Jam
3 C. pulp yields about 3 half-pints
Remove stems from chokecherries and wash. Drain. Add 1 C. water to every 4 C. of
fruit. Place over low heat and simmer just until fruit is tender, stirring
occasionally. Rub pulp through a medium sieve. Measure this and add an equal
amount of sugar.
Place over moderate heat and stir until sugar has melted. Bring to a full
rolling boil and cook until mixture sheets (220oF) off spoon. Stir frequently.
Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and
rings. Water bath 10 minutes.
Holiday Cranberry Jam
2 C. fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1 medium orange
1/2 C. water
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed and crushed
3 C. sugar
2 pouches (1 pkg.) liquid fruit pectin
Finely chop or grind cranberries. Cut orange in quarters and remove seed; grind.
Combine chopped fruits, water, crushed strawberries and sugar in a large pan;
stir to blend.
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Bring to a rolling boil
for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in pectin. Skim off
foam, if desired. Stir for 4-5 minutes; pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/4"
headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 10 minutes.
Spiced Mulberry Jam
Yields 3 half-pints
1 qt. prepared mulberries
3 C. sugar
1/4 C. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Stem mulberries (some green berries are ok) and cover with cold salt water. Use
1/4 C. salt to 1 qt. water. Let stand 5 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water for
3 minutes.
Crush berries. Add sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook slowly, stirring, until
the sugar dissolves. Boil rapidly (stirring constantly to prevent scorching)
until gel point is reached. Remove from heat and skim if necessary. Pour into
sterile jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings.
Water bath 10 minutes.
Tomato Marmalade
Makes 6 half-pints
1 medium orange, peeled and quartered
2 lbs. tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped (4 1/2 C.)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 inches stick cinnamon, broken
2 tsp. whole cloves
5 C. sugar
Seed and quarter orange. Slice orange quarters crosswise very thinly over bowl
to catch juice. In 5 qt. pan, combine orange slices, juice, tomatoes and lemon
juice. Tie cinnamon and cloves in cloth bag and add to tomato mixture.
Bring to boil, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Stir in sugar. Bring to full boil,
stirring constantly, until mixture reaches gel stage, about 7 minutes or longer.
Remove from heat. Remove spice bag. Skim if necessary. Pour into sterile jars,
leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings. Water bath 10
minutes.
Watermelon Marmalade
Makes 6 half-pints
3 lb. watermelon rind
3 lemons
1 pkg. (1 3/4 oz.) powdered pectin
5 C. sugar
Trim dark green and pink parts from watermelon rind. Cut rind into small chunks
(about 6 cups). Chop fine or coarsely grind. Measure 4 C. pulp including juice.
Set aside.
Squeeze juice from lemons. Reserve peel of 2 lemons. Measure 1/2 C. lemon juice
and set aside. Remove excess white from reserved lemon peels. Cut peel into very
fine strips. Place lemon peel in 5 qt. pan, cover with water, bring to boil and
simmer 5 minutes. Drain, discard cooking liquid.
Add ground watermelon rind and liquid to lemon peel in pan. Cover and simmer 10
minutes, stirring frequently. Drain liquid into a 2 C. measuring cup. (Add water
to make 2 C., if necessary.)
Return liquid to pan with rind and peel. Add lemon juice. Stir in pectin and
bring to a full rolling boil. Add sugar and boil hard 1 minute, stirring
constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam, if necessary. Pour into sterile
half-pint jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and rings.
Water bath 10 minutes.
Cactus Jam
2 qt. cactus fruits (prickly pear measured before cut).
Wash and remove skins, cut in half lengthwise, remove seeds. Cook until
transparent in syrup of:
1 1/2 C. sugar
5/8 C. water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 slice of orange 1/2" thick (remove before filling jars)
Pour into sterile jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe jar rims, adjust lids and
rings. Water bath 10 minutes.
Picking Tips
[General picking tips and a guide to each fruit and vegetable] [How
much do I need to pick?
(Yields - how much raw makes how much cooked or frozen)] [Selecting
the right varieties to pick] [All
about apple varieties - which to pick and why!] [Picking tips for Vegetables]
[ Strawberry picking tips]
[ Blueberries picking tips]
Illustrated Canning, Freezing, Jam Instructions and Recipes
[ All About Home Canning, Freezing and Making Jams, Pickles, Sauces, etc. ] [FAQs - Answers to common questions and problems] [Recommended books about home canning, jam making, drying and preserving!] [Free canning publications to download and print]