Most people make multiple batches of jam in summer and preserve it to enjoy in winter. And here I am, posting a recipe of mixed berry jam on a cold winter evening. Anybody in my club on this? I doubt! All jams begin with delicious fruits and my plan was to wait for summer to make a fresh batch until my eyes fell on these gorgeous looking berries. I know it’s not the right season but they were so pretty, juicy and very sweet.
Making jam is very easy but preserving jam requires a litte attention to detail. I am no expert in making or preserving jam but I did some reading and it helped me understand a little bit about it. I usually avoid making huge batches as it’s just the two of us at home and neither of us are huge fans of jam. The experts suggest to use mason jar for storage as it has this flat lid which helps creating vacuum and seals the jar tight. This is a key factor for preserving the jam.
Pectin also plays a very important role in making a fruit jam. It is what makes the fruit jam set tightly. It’s like a glue, technically called complex carbohydrate which is present in the cell walls of plants and helps thicken the jam. All fruits have certain content of pectin in them, some high and some low. Depending on what fruit you are using, you might have to use artificial pectin powder. This recipe has no artificial pectin in it. I used orange juice and lemon juice, which have very high content of pectin and that gave the jam right amount of consistency that I was looking for. I personally don’t prefer jams which are too thick.
Ever since I learned how to make jam at home, I stopped buying them from the store. Honestly speaking, I never liked the store bought jams. They are always so overly sweet and never smell of fruits! This jam came out just perfect. Sweetness from the fruits, tartness from the citrus juice and a very light herbal touch from the fresh rosemary.
