Mixed Berry Jam From Frozen Berries Small Batch Recipes

SMALL BATCH MIXED BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Toss the berries and sugar together in a large, heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch Oven. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, periodically tossing to coat and to dissolve the sugar (this process helps coax the juices out of the fruit). Place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill (you'll use this later to test the consistency of the jam).
• Bring the fruit to a strong simmer over medium heat until the berries burst and the juices start to boil, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook the jam, at first stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula, then more frequently as the juices thicken. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the fruit has begun to break down, 40 - 50 minutes. How much it breaks down will depend on the fruit's type and ripeness: for example, strawberries are likely to retain more of their shape, while raspberries will break down almost entirely. As the jam cooks, the liquid will reduce, the sugars thicken and the natural pectins activate. You'll notice the liquid go from a rapid, rolling boil with smaller bubbles to a slow, thick, tar-like boil with larger bubbles: This is the stage at which it's most important to stir constantly along the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching and sticking (sugar is heavier than water and will concentrate there, increasing the chance that the fruit will burn) It's also the stage at which splattering may occur, so take care in stirring.
• Once the jam reaches a slow, thick boil, add lemon / lime / orange juice and continue to cook, stirring constantly until the jam returns to its previous consistency (before you added the juice), about another 5 minutes. To test the consistency, spoon a bit of jam onto the chilled plate, return it to the refrigerator and chill for 2 minutes. Drag your finger through it: it should hold its shape on either side without appearing watery or runny. If it's not there yet, cook a few minutes more (note: some fruit, like strawberries, contain more water and less natural pectin than other fruit, like raspberries. This means the jam will never be quite as thick or gelled, but it will still be delicious).
• Once jam has reached the right consistency, remove from the heat. Add jam to an 8-ounce canning jar, mason jar or two 4 ounce jars and store in the refrigerator.

MIXED BERRY FREEZER JAM

Steps:

• Stir together the sugar, pectin and salt in a small bowl until combined. Mash the berries in a separate large bowl with a fork or potato masher until evenly and finely crushed; stir in the lemon juice.
• Add the sugar mixture to the berry mixture and stir until well combined and the sugar has fully dissolved, about 2 minutes (this will also help the pectin bloom). Ladle into a glass mason jar or other freezer-safe container and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to set. Cover and store in the freezer for up to 1 year.

EASIEST MIXED BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Chop the frozen fruit from each bag into pea-sized chunks (you can mash the thawed fruit with a potato masher if you prefer larger fruit chunks in your jam - I don't, I like jam that has a chunky texture, but spreads easily).
• In a large pot, combine fruit and sugar.
• Bring mixture quickly over high heat to the gelling point (it actually takes quite a while, in excess of ten minutes - and stir constantly, or fruit will stick to the bottom and burn).
• After fruit has reached the gelling point (thick enough to slide, as one 'flake', from a cold spoon), remove from heat.
• Ladle into sterilized jars, apply seals and rings, and process for 15 minutes, with whole jars submerged at least 1-2 inches under boiling water.
• That's it! Six bags, six cups. Chop, mix, boil to the gelling point, fill jars, process, DONE, all in less than an hour.
• NOTE: the Ball Blue Book calls for 9 cups of "berries" (i.e., blackberries, young berries, dew berries, etc.,) - six 12 oz. bags of mixed berries yields slightly less, but approximately that much.