It seems like during quarantine, everyone has taken up cooking. Some people have been baking bread. Others have been perfecting their pie crust. Even my brother, who I’ve never seen cook a thing in his life, made a chicken pot pie the other day. But berry season is almost upon us and so, I have been prepping my jam making skills.
While jelly is translucent and made from the juice of fruits, and marmalade is made from citrus fruits and can be overly complicated, jam is fairly easy to make. It’s made with whole or cut fruit and cooked with sugar, and can end up either chunky or completely smooth, depending on how you like yours.
Jam is all about being assertive, about testing out different add-ins and sugars. To help you get the most out of the berry season, we’ve rounded up everything you need to make ideal jam.
A dutch oven is essential for cooking your jam. If you don’t want to end up with burnt fruit, this is what I recommend. It conducts heat more evenly than a stainless steel alternative. This pot is great because it’s wide, too, which means there is more surface area to cook and moisture will evaporate faster. It also boasts a cabin-like design, perfect for jam making.
I kind of can’t imagine putting jam in anything besides a mason jar. This set of twelve should do you well, even if you don’t end up using them for jam making. Mason Jars are the greatest thing to have around the house.
If you don’t have a wooden spoon that has been through it all with you, now is the time to grab one. A wooden spoon is heatproof and the easiest to clean, even when jam gets all globbed on. These Five Two spoons are beautiful and will last you a long, long time.
If you don’t have a good pair of tongs, they are life-changers. These have rubber tips that are helpful for moving the jam jars in and out of hot water.
Because after making your own jam, you deserve to label it with more than just a piece of tape. This label maker is easy to use, can change fonts, add symbols, get templates, and has fun tape. Is it strange I’m so excited about the fun tape? I don’t think so.
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