Jam-Making 2008: Canning

Once the jam is done cooking, you are ready to start filling your jars (aka: canning). Turn off the heat under your jam. Using a biggish spoon, skim off the foamy stuff from the top of your jam and just dump it into a cup or bowl.

Using your tongs, pull a jar out of your hot water pot and set the jar upright on the kitchen towel you laid out earlier. Set your funnel into the mouth of the jar. Then take your ladle and scoop up some jam and pour it into the jar until the jar is full. Do not fill the jar to the brim. Instead, you want your jam to come 1/4 inch from the top (this is called "headspace"). Then poke your little plastic knife thing down into the jar and all around the sides a few times to release any air bubbles that may be hiding down in there. Now you're ready to fill the next jar. Repeat the above process until you run out of jam and all the jars are full.

Using a damp cloth, carefully wipe the rim and threading of each jar to get any jam residue off. Next, fish a lid out of the hot water pot and place it, sticky side down, on top of the first jar. Screw a band on over the lid until it fits snugly (not too tight). Repeat this process for the rest of the jars.

Now just leave your jam alone for a few hours. You will hear little satisfying popping sounds coming from the lids as the jam cools. I let mine cool overnight before moving it around. Then you can label the lids with the contents and date.