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Jam and Fruit Butter

How to Make and Store Blackberry Syrup

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Blackberry syrup is easy to make at home when you have extra berries in the summer or with frozen berries come winter. Perfect on pancakes or ice cream.Blackberry syrup is easy to make at home when you have extra berries in the summer or with frozen berries come winter. Perfect on pancakes or ice cream.

Blackberry Syrup – It’s What’s For Breakfast!

Maple syrup is wonderful and it’s definitely a staple at our breakfast table. However, it is never the only syrup in my arsenal. Yes, I just said I have an arsenal of syrups… That might be part of the reason why our household of two adults and two children has three refrigerators…

Berry syrups are an absolute must with breakfast from time to time. I like them best in winter months when the sky is gray and there has been snow on my flower beds for six week, and the idea that there will be fresh fruit in my yard again feels like a myth!

I think a good berry syrup should have a balanced sweet/ tart taste, and the authentic flavor of the berry it is made from. This blackberry syrup is a strong, deep-flavored syrup that dances on the tongue with the memory of August days. I intended it to be a low sugar recipe. It produces a subtly sweet syrup which highlights the powerful, fresh taste of blackberries. If you find it too tart, you can adjust by adding add more sugar. One benefit is that the more sugar you add, the more syrup you will have. Of course that means the less berry flavor per spoonful in your syrup. . . Bottom line, make sure to taste the syrup to ensure it is the right mixture for YOU! May your winter breakfasts be berry wonderful!!!

How Long Will Blackberry Syrup Keep?

This syrup can be refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for up to six months.  Sugar acts as a preservative and helps prevent mold.  If you want to keep your syrup in the fridge a bit longer or you are worried about preserving it add some more sugar.

Can Blackberry Syrup be Canned and Used for Gifts?

Yep!  By all means.  This is a wonderful gift or stocking stuffer.  I always love to can extra summer treats and bring them as hostess gifts during the holiday season.  We often go to big family gatherings over the holidays and it is nice to have a cost effective gift that is elegant and delicious to hand out!  For complete instructions on processing the syrup using the water bath canning method check please visit Ball’s website. 

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Blackberry Syrup

Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs of blackberries
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • Juice of 2-3 lemons

Instructions

  1. Place all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil on medium, stirring occasionally with a flat wooden spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom frequently with the spatula to prevent sticking.
  2. Cook for 30-45 minutes depending on the thickness of syrup you enjoy. The more you cook, the more it will be reduced and the thicker the syrup. If you are making a sweeter version this is a good time to taste for sugar and adjust to your liking.
  3. Place a fine mesh sieve on a bowl with tall sides. Pour the fruit mixture into the sieve and let it drain for a few minutes. Use the back of a spoon to press the syrup through the sieve, leaving the seeds behind.
  4. I press for a few minutes and then when the task feels challenging I consider it finished.

Blackberry syrup is easy to make at home when you have extra berries in the summer or with frozen berries come winter. Perfect on pancakes or ice cream.If you love blackberries, you might also want to try my simple 10 Minute Blackberry Jam!

10 Minute Blackberry Jam

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Copycat Cracker Barrel Blueberry Syrup

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Mmmm pancakes with blueberry syrup! This syrup is easy to make at home and much better than the beloved syrups served at Cracker Barrel or IHOP! It has more flavor, less sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup! This is the stuff heavenly Saturday mornings are made of.

Mmmm pancakes with blueberry syrup! This syrup is easy to make at home and much better than the beloved syrups served at Cracker Barrel or IHOP! It has more flavor, less sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup! This is the stuff heavenly Saturday mornings are made of.

A few weeks ago I was doing some yummy recipe research at Cracker Barrel.  (The entire family loves it when I do this kind of research.)  My project of the day was trying blueberry pancakes which came with a cute jar of Dickinsons Wild Main Blueberry Syrup.

The syrup was really nice but heavy on the sugar and lite on the blueberry flavor.  Of course the label reveals three kinds of sugar after blueberries  – two of which are sugars food can generally do without in my not so humble opinion.

My mission when we arrived at the restaurant was pancakes but I went home thinking I could make a better syrup too!  Well it turns out I was right!  Blueberry syrup is easy to make at home either with whole berries or smooth.  The results are way better than what I got at the restaurant and my syrup actually had a lot of fruit in it.  It is still a sweet syrup but not so sweet as to loose the wonderful blueberry flavor.

I will note that most people won’t be able to find Wild Main Blueberries easily and if you can the price point is usually steep.  Many stores do carry “wild blueberries” in the frozen section which will give you the great wild berry flavor Main berries are prized for without the cost of the true Main version. Of course you can also use regular cultivated blueberries and still have wonderful syrup – the choice is entirely up to you!

Have a great week.  Thanks for stopping by to cook with me!

Tools In This Post:  I like this syrup with a few berries in it for texture.  If you want a smoother syrup you can use an immersion blender like this at the end.  These are also handy tools for jam, soups and sauces.

Need a great pancake recipe to go with your syrup?  These Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes are about my most popular recipe ever and one we make for breakfast most weeks. 

These Copycat Cracker Barrel Pancakes are a bit better than the ones served at the restaurant. Only 5 ingredients, and instructions to make a homemade mix.

Mmmm pancakes with blueberry syrup! This syrup is easy to make at home and much better than the beloved syrups served at Cracker Barrel or IHOP! It has more flavor, less sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup! This is the stuff heavenly Saturday mornings are made of.
5 from 2 votes
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Copycat Cracker Barrel Blueberry Syrup

Mmmm pancakes with blueberry syrup! This syrup is easy to make at home and much better than the beloved syrups served at Cracker Barrel or IHOP! It has more flavor, less sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup! This is the stuff heavenly Saturday mornings are made of. (Makes 2 cups of syrup.)
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 76 kcal
Author Mirlandra

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blueberries see note
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  1. Combine the cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. of the water in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Add the rest of the water to a medium saucepan with the blueberries and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat stirring occasionally.
  3. Reduce heat to bring the syrup down to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
  4. Stir the cornstarch mixture in making sure to stir until everything is well mixed. Continue to stir occasionally and simmer until the sauce thickens a little bit. A few of the berries will be whole still which gives this syrup a fun texture. You can always choose to puree the remaining berries with an immersion blender or a drink blender.
  5. Store in the refrigerator for several weeks or in the freezer for several months.
  6. Serve cold or warm however you prefer.

Recipe Notes

Type of Blueberries: You can use any kind of blueberries to make this syrup. They can be fresh or frozen. Some people prefer using wild blueberries because they have a slightly more intense and tangy taste than cultivated blueberries. I like using wild blueberries for syrup because they are small and you get nice thick syrup with little blueberries in it. That being said, the cost of frozen wild blueberries is generally about twice as much as frozen cultivated blueberries.

Nutrition Facts
Copycat Cracker Barrel Blueberry Syrup
Amount Per Serving
Calories 76
% Daily Value*
Sodium 2mg 0%
Potassium 28mg 1%
Total Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Sugars 16g
Vitamin A 0.4%
Vitamin C 4.3%
Calcium 0.2%
Iron 0.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Mmmm pancakes with blueberry syrup! This syrup is easy to make at home and much better than the beloved syrups served at Cracker Barrel or IHOP! It has more flavor, less sugar and no high-fructose corn syrup! This is the stuff heavenly Saturday mornings are made of.

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Quick and Easy Dried Apricot Jam

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Bursting with flavor, Dried Apricot Jam is easy to make in the cool months and perfect for Christmas gifts. No pectin is required and the jam is ready in 35 minutes.

Bursting with flavor, Dried Apricot Jam is easy to make in the cool months and perfect for Christmas gifts. No pectin is required and the jam is ready in 35 minutes.

I have been cooking up Christmas gifts this past week.  No, I’m not totally crazy!  My family is coming to town for Thanksgiving and I much more enjoy giving gifts in person.  Besides, who wants to pay the shipping?  My mom is really easy to make gifts for because she likes almost anything I do. Moms, huh?  But my Dried Apricot Jam is a special favorite of hers.

When you dry an apricot the flavor is concentrated and magnified.  When you add a bit of water and boil them up into jam the final product is really a bit exotic.  It has a lot more punch than fresh fruit jams.  Apricots also have natural pectin in the fruit so you don’t have to fuss with getting the jam to jell.  The process is so simple I think a monkey could do it – if I would let one in my kitchen.

Cut fruit.  Boil fruit and water.  Stir in sugar.  Look, you made jam!  Honestly if you have kids that are old enough to use scissors and not stick their hands into boiling fruit this might be a great project to do with them.  Children love to give gifts they made themselves and watch others enjoy them.

I have three jars of lovely Dried Apricot Jam waiting in the freezer for my mom.  Who will you be making some for?

Tools In This Post:  Kitchen tools don’t have to be expensive.  Sometimes you get what you pay for and sometimes you pay too much for what you get.  I use scissors all day long in the kitchen.  I cut pizza, I snip herbs, I cut raw chicken, I cut up dried fruit or fresh fruit or canned tomatoes.  I have multiple pairs of scissors around because I use them so much.  Many kitchen scissors are either crummy or ultra expensive.  I now buy three packs of these Scotch scissors and use them for food.  They go through my dishwasher every day.  In my opinion, anybody who cooks should own a pack of these.

Like unique jams?  You might enjoy my lovely Peach Melba Jam!

Peach Melba Jam

 

Bursting with flavor, Dried Apricot Jam is easy to make in the cool months and perfect for Christmas gifts. No pectin is required and the jam is ready in 35 minutes.
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Quick and Easy Dried Apricot Jam

Yield: 1 ½ pints
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 3
Author Mirlandra Neuneker

Ingredients

  • 12 oz dried apricots I get the bulk ones from Winco
  • water
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • ½ cup packed brown sugar

Instructions

  1. With a kitchen scissors, cut two apricots in half at a time. Cut the halves into three pieces each so each apricot is cut into six pieces each. (Can be cut smaller if you prefer smaller chunks in your jam.)
  2. Place the chopped apricots into a 4 cup measuring cup. Add water to the 4 cup line.
  3. Dump all that into a medium sized sauce pan over medium heat. Add the salt and simmer for about 30 minutes until the apricots are tender and the jam coats a spoon. Stir in the brown sugar.

  4. Decant into ½ pint jars and refrigerate for several weeks or freeze for six months. Note, this jam does not have enough sugar to be considered safe for pressure or water bath canning.

Bursting with flavor, Dried Apricot Jam is easy to make in the cool months and perfect for Christmas gifts. No pectin is required and the jam is ready in 35 minutes.

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15 Minute Microwave Pumpkin Butter

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This silky, spicy pumpkin butter tastes like pumpkin pie and is ready in 15 minutes. It is a wonderful fall treat on muffins, toast, and pancakes! The recipe makes 8 cups total so you will have plenty to share as hostess and Christmas gifts (if you can part with it).

This silky, spicy pumpkin butter tastes like pumpkin pie and is ready in 15 minutes. It is a wonderful fall treat on muffins, toast, and pancakes! The recipe makes 8 cups total so you will have plenty to share as hostess and Christmas gifts (if you can part with it).

If you could smear pie on your toast and get away with it why wouldn’t you?  That is the basic premise of Pumpkin Butter.  It has the lovely sweet spiciness and soft silky mouth feel of pumpkin pie but is dairy and egg free and you can smear it on anything that comes into your pretty little head!

I wanted to make a quick batch and every recipe I saw involved a crock pot or a long stove cooking time or some other craziness.  I have a toddler people.  You don’t even want to think about how many days that dirty crock pot will be on the counter before I wash it or what the house will smell like if I burn pumpkin mush to a pot on the stove while saving my child from certain disaster every five minutes.  Jack is a great kid but let’s just say he is very, very, very curious.  About everything.

In the end I tossed out all the long, complicated ideas and just tried it my own way.  It takes five minutes to open the cans of pumpkin and stir it together with the spices.  It takes 10 minutes to cook in the microwave!  I only had one Pyrex bowl to toss in the dishwasher after and I had treats for us plus gifts.

How many batches will you be making? Stay tuned this weekend for my Spiked Pumpkin Pie Milkshake using pumpkin butter….

Tools In This Post:  Don’t laugh – I go through a LOT of Pumpkin Pie spice during the year.  That was true even before I started blogging.  It is just great in everything!  A little one ounce container can cost $4-$5 depending on the store.  I buy a big container and it lasts me awhile.  Even if you use half of this before it goes bad you will save a ton of money!

Planning on loading your yummy butter into jars?  This funnel is my favorite for all jar filling projects.  It is easy to see how much head space you want to leave and it keeps things clean!  No more wiping the jar rim before adding the lids.

One other thing you might want.  I have fallen in love with these white plastic storage caps for mason jars!  It really helps with all the open jars in my fridge.  They come in narrow and wide mouth.  A friend moved and gave me her used ones a year ago and none have broken yet.

Need something to slather your pumpkin butter on?  Try these wonderful sweet dinner rolls.  You can’t loose!

These Copycat Texas Roadhouse Dinner Rolls are amazingly soft and the Cinnamon Honey Butter puts them over the top! Only 10 minutes of active work!

This silky, spicy pumpkin butter tastes like pumpkin pie and is ready in 15 minutes. It is a wonderful fall treat on muffins, toast, and pancakes! The recipe makes 8 cups total so you will have plenty to share as hostess and Christmas gifts (if you can part with it).
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15 Minute Microwave Pumpkin Butter

Makes 8 cups
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Author Mirlandra Neuneker

Ingredients

  • 2 cans of pumpkin 29oz each, or 6 cups pumpkin puree - NOT canned pumpkin pie filling mix
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar light or dark
  • 1 cup pure maple syrup not imitation
  • 1 Tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. In a large microwave safe bowl combine all ingredients. Stir.
  2. Microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring once after 5 minutes.
  3. Decant into containers and freeze to use or gift. A jar can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Please note that while pumpkin butter can be canned this recipe does not contain enough sugar to meet food safety guidelines for best practices for safe canning.

This silky, spicy pumpkin butter tastes like pumpkin pie and is ready in 15 minutes. It is a wonderful fall treat on muffins, toast, and pancakes! The recipe makes 8 cups total so you will have plenty to share as hostess and Christmas gifts (if you can part with it).

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Fresh Peach Jam

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It is not hard to make and can your own peach jam. The results are sensational and will keep making you happy all year. And of course it makes great gifts.

It is not hard to make and can your own peach jam. The results are sensational and will keep making you happy all year. And of course it makes great gifts.

This is my last canning post for the summer. I really am done. That is kind of sad. I put all the equipment away in the garage for the winter. Next summer will be here before I know it. I already have fun plans to experiment with! If you are new to canning make sure you catch my introductory post on Water Bath Canning and Equipment. Also, check out the Preserving section of the Recipe Index for a great selection of canning recipes.

Peaches are one of my favorite things so this is a fitting post to wrap up my summer canning season. Making this peach jam is a simple process. There are some steps to follow but you won’t find it too difficult to master, even if you are new to jam making.

If you love peaches, make sure to try my Cinnamon Swirl Peach Bread!  It is pretty much amazing…

This peach bread is a decadent bread machine recipe swirled with cinnamon, brown sugar and ripe peaches. Cream cheese glaze tops the warm bread perfectly.

 

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Fresh Peach Jam

Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 10 pints of jam

Ingredients

  • 6 2/3 cups of chopped peaches about 4lbs
  • 5 Tablespoons of lemon juice
  • 1 nubbin of butter 1-2 Tablespoons
  • 7 1/2 Tablespoons of powdered pectin
  • 5 cups of sugar

Instructions

  1. Wash the jars you are going to use.
  2. Fill your water bath canner about half way with water and set aside. Put a metal kitchen spoon in the freezer to check consistency of jam later.
  3. Blanch peaches in boiling water for 30-45 seconds per batch. Plunge them into an ice water bath as each batch finishes. Slip skins from the fruit.
  4. Peel peaches and chop into medium-small chunks. As you chop stir in 1 cup of the sugar to keep peaches from browning.
  5. Measure pectin into one small bowl and the remaining 4 cups of sugar into another. Place peaches, lemon juice and butter in a large pot on medium-high heat. Use an immersion blender or potato masher to puree jam until it reaches the consistency you desire.
  6. Turn water bath canner on high and to bring to a boil.
  7. Slowly add pectin to fruit stirring constantly.
  8. Bring fruit mixture to a full boil, then add the sugar. Stir until it returns to a boil, then boil 1 minute continuing to stir constantly. The jam will look thin even though it is ready. If you want to know how thick it will set up dip the frozen spoon into the pot. Run your finger down the back of the spoon - the consistency on the cold spoon is the consistency of the jam as it sets.
  9. Fill pint or half pint jars with a wide canning funnel. Leave 1/4" - 1/2" headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar down with a clean, damp towel to make sure it is perfectly clean
  10. Place a lid and ring on the jar.
  11. Place your jars in the water bath canner. Make sure there is enough hot water to cover the jars by 2". Bring the water back up to a full boil and process for the recommended processing time.
  12. Pints and half-pints should be processed a minimum of 10 minutes in a water bath canner. If you live above 1,000 feet add more time to adjust for altitude: 1,001 - 3,000 feet add 5 minutes. 3,001 - 6,000 feet add 10 minutes. 6,001 - 8,000 feet add 15 minutes. 8,001 - 10,000 feet add 20 minutes.
  13. Remove jars to towels after processing and allow the lids to pop down - no poking!
  14. When the lids have sealed the jam is ready to store.

Recipe Notes

This recipe can be cut in half.

It is not hard to make and can your own peach jam. The results are sensational and will keep making you happy all year. And of course it makes great gifts.

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Peach Melba Jam

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This classic Peach Melba Jam is a great mix of peaches and raspberries. It is one of my favorite jams. Instructions for canning the jam are included.This classic Peach Melba Jam is a great mix of peaches and raspberries. It is one of my favorite jams. Instructions for canning the jam are included.

 

Today my good fortune is complete. A friend had too much fruit and I am the beneficiary her bounty, which consists of a table full of peaches, nectarines, and apples. Ah the joy! I canned up 50lbs of peaches last week, which should have been plenty.  But apparently I’m some sort of crazy fruit glutton. Or, as my friend Lacy says, “just crazy”.

With my main stash of peach jam done for the season it occurred to me I had not made any Peach Melba jam in years. This incredible jam comes from the mixing of mid-summer raspberries with late summer peaches. It’s a beautiful, rich marriage of flavors that complement each other in ways you would never expect .

Peach Melba has a rich history in opera culture. In the late 1800’s the French chef, Auguste Escoffier, created a new dessert of peach halves on vanilla ice cream which he topped with raspberry sauce. Escoffier named it for a popular opera soprano, Nellie Melba, who had given him two tickets to Wagner’s “Lohengrin.” To read a wonderfully researched story about the history of Peach Melba visit Tori Avey’s amazing food history blog.  Now, whenever peaches and raspberries meet up, the cooking world refers to the combination as “Peach Melba.”

I enjoy Wagner, but Jonathan would agree with Lacy’s assessment of my mental health when it comes to all things opera . Funny how things turn out. Jonathan had to work late so I spent the evening coating my kitchen in sugar and raspberry/peach goo and listening to Lohengrin (the entire opera is available on YouTube if you are curious). The result of my opera infused jam craziness is so delicious I may have been licking the sides of my pan…

I set this recipe up to be canned when you are done but you can also freeze the jam for about a year or refrigerate it short term. If you are new to canning check out my tips and equipment post. 

 

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Peach Melba Jam

Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 15 cups of jam (120oz)

Ingredients

  • 7 cups ripe peaches peeled and chopped (about 5lbs)
  • 3 cups raspberries
  • 12 Tablespoons classic pectin
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • nubbin of butter 1-2 Tablespoons
  • 10 cups sugar

Instructions

  1. Wash the jars you are going to use. They need to be sterilized even if they are already clean. Running them through the dishwasher is a simple way to do this.
  2. Fill your water bath canner about half full with water and set aside. Put a metal kitchen spoon in the freezer to check consistency of jam later.
  3. Blanch your peaches in boiling water for 30-45 seconds per batch, and then plunge them into an ice water bath as each batch finishes. Slip the skins from the fruit.
  4. Peel peaches. Chop into medium-small chunks. As you chop, stir in 1 cup of the sugar to keep peaches from browning.
  5. Measure pectin into a small bowl and the remaining 9 cups of sugar into another. Place peaches, raspberries, lemon juice and butter in a large pot on high. Use an immersion blender to puree jam until it reaches the consistency you desire.
  6. Turn water bath canner on high and bring to a boil.
  7. Slowly add pectin to fruit stirring constantly. Bring the fruit mixture to a full boil, then add the sugar. Stir until it returns to a boil, then boil 1 minute continuing to stir constantly. The jam will look thin even though it is ready. If you want to know how thick it will set up after it's cool dip the frozen spoon into the jam for a moment and then run your finger down the spoon.
  8. Us a wide funnel to fill pint or half pint jars. Leave 1/4" - 1/2" headspace.
  9. Wipe the rim of the jar down with a clean, damp towel to make sure it is perfectly clean, then place a lid and ring on the jar.
  10. Place your jars in the water bath canner. Make sure there is enough hot water to cover the jars by 2". Bring the canner back up to a full boil and boil for the recommended processing time.
  11. Pints and half-pints of need to be processed a minimum of 10 minutes in a water bath canner. If you live above 1,000 feet you need to add more time to adjust for altitude. For 1,001 - 3,000 feet add 5 minutes. For 3,001 - 6,000 feet add 10 minutes. For 6,001 - 8,000 feet add 15 minutes. For 8,001 - 10,000 feet add 20 minutes.
  12. Remove your jars to clean towels after processing and allow the lids to pop down - no poking!
  13. When the lids have sealed your jam is ready to store.

Recipe Notes

It takes me 2 1/2 hours from unpeeled fruit to processed jars of jam. Plan on it taking a little bit longer if you are new to jam making or canning.

You can save time by not canning the finished product and instead storing it in the refrigerator for a few weeks or the freezer for about a year.

This classic Peach Melba Jam is a great mix of peaches and raspberries. It is one of my favorite jams. Instructions for canning the jam are included.If you want more information on canning tips and equipment, check out this post here:

Updated Canning Collage Roger

 

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Nectarine Spice Butter

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This nectarine spice butter is easy to make and lovely to have all winter long. Store it in the fridge or can it for winter.  This nectarine spice butter is easy to make and lovely to have all winter long. Store it in the fridge or can it for winter. I grew up next to a peach orchard in Oregon. Living in the midst of such a wealth of fruit, it never occurred to me to venture out beyond peaches. I came across the humble nectarine here and there but never really fell for them.  Now I’m living in Southern Idaho where there are quite a few nectarine trees and ripe fruit is readily available.  I find I’m falling in love with the nectarine and all the fun possibilities it offers.
I had already made my canning plans for the summer but a kind friend offered me a big pile of nectarines. I am my mother’s daughter and pretty much can’t turn down a pile of fruit to save my life. The tree is still young so the fruits were on the small side. Jam it was!

Nectarines are amazing because they have plenty of pectin in the peel of the fruit. It is not as much as apricots have, but it’s enough to gel jams without adding pectin as long as you don’t remove the peels!
I like this recipe because it’s simple to make and preserve. I made more than one batch (there were a LOT of nectarines!). Storage space is at a premium so I have been giving out extra jars to friends. Everybody loves it! Grab some of this wonderful fruit before the season ends and whip up a batch of Nectarine Spice Butter for your pantry or to give as Christmas gifts.  If you are new to canning check out my post on Water Bath Canning for some tips and equipment ideas.

 

4 from 2 votes
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Nectarine Spice Butter

Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings 5 Pints

Ingredients

  • 9 cups of ripe nectarines with skins
  • 4 cups of sugar
  • 1/4 cup of lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Slice fruit and remove pits. Keep skins on.
  2. Add fruit, sugar, lemon juice, butter and cinnamon to heavy bottomed soup pot. Bring to a boil on medium high stirring constantly with a sturdy wooden spatula. Make sure to scrape the bottom regularly to prevent burning.
  3. After the fruit comes to a boil, use an immersion blender in a circular motion to puree the fruit into a sauce. Make it as smooth as you desire.
  4. Simmer for an additional 20 minutes stirring constantly.
  5. Fill jars (you can use half pints, pints, or quarts) leaving a half inch of head space.
  6. Process in a Water Bath Canner for 10 minutes at 1,000 feet of altitude or less. If you live above 1,000 feet process longer: for 1,001 - 3,000 feet add 5 minutes, for 3,001 - 6,000 feet add 10 minutes, for 6,001 - 8,000 feet add 15 minutes, for 8,001 - 10,000 feet add 20 minutes.
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Simple Water Bath Canning: Tips and Equipment

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Don’t let canning intimidate you. It can be fun and easy. Here I give my favorite simple tips and lessons in water bath canning including what equipment you need and why.

Don't let canning intimidate you. It can be fun and easy. Here I give my favorite simple tips and lessons in water bath canning including what equipment you need and why.

Water Bath Canning is a wonderful skill that allows you to preserve high quality food from your garden or local farms in the way that YOU like to eat it.  I love that I know as much about where the food came from as I want to and I know exactly what is in the jars because I put it there.  Throughout the winter I find it very satisfying to dish up food I made myself and I absolutely love the high quality available in home canning that is not always available at the store.  I know lots of people who feel that the process of doing even one canning project is super daunting.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  Today I’m going to cover the basic equipment you need, share my canning tips and highlight basics that you should know before you get started.  Going forward, when I do a post on canning I will refer you back to this post if you need more process help.  If you still have questions make sure to leave a comment or shoot me an e-mail!  I would be glad to help you get started!!!

How much will it cost to can your food?  Canning can get expensive fast.  If you just go to the store and buy new equipment you can lay out $50-$100 simply for some basics.  Brand new jars can be about $1 each and every time you use them again you need new lids which are about .30 each.  It takes electricity or gas to run your stove hour after hour.  Food, sugar, vinegar, and spices for your recipes can add up too.  But the good news is that once you make the initial investment in a canning kettle the ongoing costs are not bad.  I also keep an eye out at garage sales and pick up as many jars there as I can.  If you do this be careful not to buy any old glass mayo jars, which aren’t designed to handle the temperature changes of the canning process.  If they break in the canner, you lose the food and gain a nasty mess.  That being said I do can in older jars all the time as long as they are Mason, Ball or Kerr jars without any chips in the lips.

Important FYI:  There are now NEW RULES FOR CANNING!!!!!!  The makers of Ball Jars (Jarden Home Brands) just released (end of summer 2014) some big changes in the instructions we have been using for for years and years!  The old rules required all jars to be boiled to make them sterile and that lids had to be boiled to soften the adhesive ring before canning.  Both of these are out the window now!  Clean everything well and you are ready to go!

Equipment:  This is the basic equipment most people need to get going.  I found that some of it was cheaper on Amazon than locally.  Obviously that will vary from place to place.

  • Ball Blue Book is the Bible of canning.  They usually run under $10 and will cover all the usual issues that come up.  The internet is a great resource but make sure that you are getting correct information!  This summer I tried looking up some canning questions and found that the Ball Blue Book was way easier to use and more accurate than many internet sites.
  • Some big soup pots or stock pots.  I like stock pots for blanching and boiling up sugar syrups.  Heavy bottom soup pots are best for jam making.  How many you need depends on what you are doing.
  • Canner with Jar Rack. They come in several sizes.  I have a 21 1/2 Quart pot.  It is pretty standard, fits on my stove and can hold 7 quart jars or 19 pints.  Mine is a Granite-Ware brand.  It’s about $25 and it works well enough.  To upgrade to a higher end one I would need to be willing to spend about $75-$100.  Right now this does the job and I don’t feel the need to upgrade.
  • Canning Funnel, Jar Lifter  and Skimmer or large slotted spoon.
  • If you are doing a lot of jam, an immersion blender is perfect.  I love my Cuisinart.  I have had it for several years and it has held up great.  I think buying one with the extra attachments is worth it!  Costco sometimes carries this too.

Figuring Out Altitude:  Every canning recipe will tell you to process jars a minimum number of minutes + additional minutes  if you live above 1,000 feet.  It is simple to make this adjustment.  I found my town’s altitude on the internet, found out I live at 2,605 feet and added time to my recipes according to the instructions.

Tips and Tricks:  There are a few things that I always do to make canning easier.

  1. Crank up the AC and put a giant fan in the kitchen.  I make sure the temperatures stay reasonable.
  2. Drink lots of water.  Staying well hydrated helps me keep my energy up.  It’s so simple but so important!
  3. Clean the kitchen and prepare everything the day before.  I try to have everything set out, jars washed and a clean work space to use the night before.  I use the dish washer to wash all of my jars.
  4. Store jars upside down in boxes to keep most dust out.  I always wash everything I plan to use plus some extras just in case.
  5. Plan dinner ahead of time.  I put something in a crockpot, have leftovers ready to go or just plan to order a pizza.
  6. Add in something interesting or social.  Sometimes I do my canning with a friend and have a girl’s day or just get an audio book to enjoy.

If this is your first year canning good luck!  The work is totally worth it!

Not sure where to start?  Peaches are easy and popular.  You won’t regret having quite a few jars of this summer treasure in your pantry come winter!

This easy recipe for canning peaches will have anybody canning pounds and pounds of yummy peaches in no time. Lots of canning tips and tricks are included. It is wonderful to have such yummy fruit available all winter long.

 

Don't let canning intimidate you. It can be fun and easy. Here I give my favorite simple tips and lessons in water bath canning including what equipment you need and why.

 

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10 Minute White Nectarine Jam

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Easy and fresh, this lovely White Nectarine Jam is ready in 10 minutes without any cooking. It perfectly captures the flavor of the fruit.

Easy and fresh, this lovely White Nectarine Jam is ready in 10 minutes without any cooking. It perfectly captures the flavor of the fruit.

I have a passion for jam most of you would be hard pressed to match. I confess – I might be a closet jam addict. Well, maybe not really a secret one hiding in the closet per se, but I love jam!

When Jonathan’s parents were in town his mom left a wonderful selection of fruit gifts.  There was simply no way to eat it all!  As the week went by I worked my way through the cornucopia of produce and eventually the scent of the white nectarines came to my attention.  I had never come across a white nectarine so I sampled this one and the flavor was divine.

I always keep a supply of instant pectin around so I can turn the random batches of fruit that show up into small jars of jam to enjoy here and there. Two nectarines made a perfect small batch. My initial plan was to gift it to a friend but I ate it all. . .  I did give out a few (small) samples to jam loving friends who were as impressed as I was.  It got rave reviews as far away as Texas.

This is a sweet and fruity jam with a beautiful blush color that almost seems too lovely for the ordinary whole wheat toast that usually graces my breakfast table.

This was one of my favorite jam’s of the summer.  The other was Peach Melba.  If you love jam, don’t miss this one!

Peach Melba Jam

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10 Minute White Nectarine Jam

Ingredients

  • 2 white nectarines peeled and chopped to make about 1 2/3cups fruit
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons instant pectin for freezer jam

Instructions

  1. Mash the chopped fruit a bit until you have fruit puree with a few medium small chunks.
  2. Dump the sugar on top, and then the pectin on top of that. Stir it all up for three minutes. I used a fork and was a bit violent in my stirring which resulted in a nice mix of puree and chunks - the perfect consistency for stone fruit jam.
  3. Put in a clean jar and store in refrigerator. If you want to save it for the winter or to give as gifts pop your jar in the freezer for longer term storage.

Easy and fresh, this lovely White Nectarine Jam is ready in 10 minutes without any cooking. It perfectly captures the flavor of the fruit.

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Striped Summer Jam: An Easy Jam Project

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This easy jam recipe combines no cook versions of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry jam for delicious and beautiful jars of perfect summer jam.This easy jam recipe combines no cook versions of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry jam for delicious and beautiful jars of perfect summer jam. Project is kid friendly and perfect for toast, gifts, or as a dessert sauce!

Have you ever had mixed berry jam? It’s a flavor explosion.  The berries blend together and meld  into this amazing new flavor.  I absolutely love the complexity of the final result.  This summer I got to thinking about the way flavors blend.  When you make say, Blackberry-Raspberry jam, you no longer taste blackberry or raspberry, but something new.  I was in the mood to experiment.  I wanted jam that was a flavor mix and not a blend.  I also wanted something pretty…  I had quite the collection of my easy 10 Minute Jams to play with.  I had eaten all the White Nectarine, it was a small, exquisite batch that went fast.  However, I still had plenty of Strawberry, Blackberry and Raspberry to work with.

The results of my experiment went well beyond my expectations.  The jars are eye-catching (meeting my “pretty” requirement) and fun .  And the layered jam is excellent.  You can swirl and smear it around on toast until it’s exactly the degree of mixed and not mixed that you like.  It’s different every morning.  Now instead of having three jars of jam in the fridge I have one, and it’s a wild mix.

I took the three different jams and scooped them into pint jars 1/3 cup at a time, alternating layers.  I tried one jar with six layers and two jars with three layers.  If you only want to make three layers simply use two scoops of each type of jam as you fill the jar.  Nothing to it.

If you want to make this I linked my 10 minute jam recipes above.  Click through to see how to prepare each one (all very similar and easy).  I love how this offers the chance to experiment and be creative with each different jar.  My only word of caution: Don’t have too much fun!!!

This is more of an idea than a recipe so there is no printable version for this post.  If somebody decides they want one let me know and I will throw one up.  Happy jamming!

P.S.  This is a great kid project.  If you are cooking with littles I suggest picking up a copy of Jamberry by Bruce Degan to read with them.  It’s such a fun berry book with catchy rhymes and great illustrations- a favorite of mine to since childhood.

This easy jam recipe combines no cook versions of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry jam for delicious and beautiful jars of perfect summer jam. Project is kid friendly and perfect for toast, gifts, or as a dessert sauce!

If you love jams with a complex flavor profile, make sure you try my recipe for Peach Melba.  It is a unique and wonderful blend of raspberries and peaches that makes a beautiful blush / pink jam!

Peach Melba Jam

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