Tayberry Lemon Jam
This jam has about 50% less sugar than your typical recipe and has no added pectin. The only ingredients are tayberry, lemon zest/juice, and organic cane sugar.
Equipment
- Large nonreactive pot
- 10 4oz mason jars
- Canning pot
- Candy thermometer
- Kitchen scale
Ingredients
- 4 lbs tayberries (or raspberries)
- 4 lemons (juice & zest)
- 2 cups organic cane sugar
Instructions
Macerate (1-2 days in advance)
- Put tayberries in a large bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice, lemon zest, and cane sugar over the berries. You do not need to mix it together, gravity will help you! Let it macerate at room temperature for 12-48 hours. See notes.
Reduce
- Put 4-5 small plates in the freezer. You will use these for your plate tests.
- Pour your fruit mixture into a large, non-reactive pot. The fruit mixture should not be more than 1/3 of the way full. See notes.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Continuously stir to prevent burning. Start your first plate test after 10 minutes. Continue plate tests every 5 minutes or so. Keep boiling until you reach your desired considency (around 20-30 minutes). Remove pot from heat.
- Fill your prepared mason jars, leaving about 1/2 inch of space before the top of the jar. Use one hand to loosely seal the lid on the jars. You don't want a seal too tight because you want air to be able to release.
Hot water bath
- Boil water in a canning pot. You need enough water to cover the lids of the mason jars (I did about 5 inches above the lids).
- Lower the jars into the boiling water. You will see bubbles coming out of the jars. Watch the temperature on a temperature thermometer. Once the temperature reaches 212 degrees F, start your timer for 10 min.
- Carefully remove the mason jars- they will be very hot! Use gloves to tightly close the lids. You will hear popping- this is a good thing! It means your jars are sealed.
- Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
Notes
- Tayberries, like raspberries, can get waterlogged. Jordan does not recommend washing your fruit before macerating it unless you have to. Use organic fruits! If you do wash your tayberries, be sure to line them on a paper towel and carefully pat them dry before using.
- You need a big pot so your jam doesn't spill over as it expands. You can boil it down quicker when it is not as full by using high heat the entire time to preserve color and flavor. If you fill the pot too full, it would increase the cooking time, impacting color and flavor.