We opened our last jar of homemade jam a few weeks ago, and I knew we needed more ASAP! We love homemade jam both freezer jam or canned. It tastes way better and is cheaper too. Only I couldn't find any good deals on fresh berries, however Smiths had a sale on frozen berries. I decided it was worth the try, only finding a recipe with frozen berries was harder than I thought. So I made my own basing it off the insert in the pectin. It turned out amazing!! My whole family loved it! Here it is, enjoy.
Triple Berry Jam
Start out by filling your water canner half to 3/4 full of water. Then bring it to a simmer.
I also like to put the jars I am about to use in the dishwasher before hand, so they are sterile and hot when it's time to can them.
This is the bag I got at my local Smith's (or Kroger) for around $8.99, if I remember right. It is a 46 oz bag of the triple berry medley. It was blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. First I thawed it a bit. I just let it sit in a bowl in the sink for a few hours. Then I went to mash them. Only the blueberries didn't like getting mashed. I decided to use my magic bullet and pulsed it a bit, cup by cup. I don't have a food processer, but it still worked out very well. Keep in mind jam is suppose to have fruit chunks in it so it doesn't have to be perfect.
Bring the fruit and 1 box of pectin to a full rolling boil. Which means it doesn't stop bubbling even if you are stirring it. Then add 7 cups of sugar all at once. Make sure this is pre measured in a separate bowl, so you can stir it all in at once. Bring it back to a full rolling boil, and let it boil 1 minute.
Before I pour it in hot jars I check to see if it's set. I like to take a container out of the freezer and put a little jam on it. If it's not runny to the touch and feels heavy and sticky, like it's set, then it's good to go. If not I give it more time to boil or add another box of pectin. Both times I made this I never had a problem, it set better than my strawberry did.
Then pour them into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Wipe the rim and threads with a clean wet cloth. Put on the new canning lid and screw the band on tightly. Usually I keep the new lids in a small pan of boiling water to sanitize it before screwing it on, but honestly lately I haven't.
Then I put them in a water bath of already boiling water for 15 minutes. When I take them out I turn them upside down till they seal. Once they are sealed my kids love to help label them.
This jam came out really well. It make 3 jelly sized jars and 3 1/2 pints. My kids loved it! I also tried a strawberry one with frozen strawberries and it didn't set as well. When it comes out runnier we use it to replace syrup. We spread it on pancakes, waffles or French toast.
