Jam-Making 2008: Setting up all that crap you just bought

Once your fruit is ready for action, it's time to set up all your canning gear.

Jam-making is a kind of process, so you will want to lay out your stuff accordingly. The basic process for all of this is going to be:

1. Boil the jars for 15 min. to sterilize
2. Boil the jam for about 25-30 min.
3. Pour jam into hot jars; seal with lids

You will need to put either a wire rack or some folded kitchen towels into the bottom of your giant boiling pot. Mine came with a nice wire rack, so that is what I used. Regardless of which one you use, the main thing is that you want to keep your jars at least an inch or so off the bottom of the pan and you don't want them to touch the sides of the pot. This keeps the jars at an even temperature throughout the process and it also keeps the glass from coming into contact with the metal of the pot and shattering them. (I shattered a couple of jars this way when I first attempted to can all those years ago. It turned me off of the canning process. Fortunately, I am older and wiser now!)

So anyway, wash all those jars, lids, and bands in hot, soapy water and then rinse. Set the bands and lids aside. Next, put the Dutch oven on the stove top and pour your fruit mixture into it. You will not use the lid. Go ahead and lay out some kitchen towels flat by wherever you're planning on dishing out your jam when it's ready. The towels will keep all that hot jam you're going to be accidentally dripping everywhere from getting on your nice countertops. I laid mine out right next to the stove by the Dutch oven. This made it easier to get the hot jars onto the towels and then fill them from the Dutch oven. Now put your jar bands, funnel, and plastic knife next to the towels. Everything is right there and within easy reach.