So my wedding is about 10 months away and I would like to can 4oz jars of Raspberry Jam and Apple Butter from my garden in the upcoming months for Favors. I am fairly new to canning (water bath) and could use any advice/tips you all have!
I successfully canned my apple butter recipe last year and there is one uneaten jar left that seems to be storing very well and got raving reviews! I even successfully shipped some across the country without issues!
I have not yet made or canned raspberry jam… risky move and I know jam is a bit more nuanced than apple butter.
I need to pick some raspberries today and hopefully store them for 2 weeks before I make jam because I am going out of town. Is that possible? What is the best practice for storing unprocessed berries? Or should I just try to do a quick batch tonight if I have time?
Any help would be greatly appreciated! I should have plenty of fruit.. however if I mess up too much I am worried I won’t have enough product left for favors.
TLDR
– tips on long term storing of lots of small jars (can I stack the jars safely? Can I store them in my unfinished, relatively dry basement?)
– favorite low risk jam recipe
– tips on water bath canning
– tips on storing unprocessed fruit
Thank you all! 🙏
by Sea-Faithlessness846
12 Comments
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Beware the safest smallest-sized jar available will likely be 4oz with a two-piece (NOT one piece button) lids. Do NOT trust vendors in places like Amazon to sell smaller sized/fancy shaped jars for a shelf stable product.
Remember you are doing this at home, while Bonne Maman can do their thimble sized samples in a commercial industrial process that allows for more variety of preservation.
The only way to store berries for that long is to freeze them. You can make jam from frozen fruit and can it.
For jam I just follow the directions on the Ball package.
If you’ve got room try cleaning and storing the berries in your freezer until you are ready to make jam.
You’d probably be okay [stacking a layer](https://www.healthycanning.com/stacking-jars-in-storage) or two of jars on top of each other. I’d recommend placing a piece of cardboard between layers.
General canning tips are just to start with a clean kitchen and to have all of your ingredients and tools ready to go before you start.
Have been canning for 30 years and I never use frozen berries. You can from a food safety perspective, but I find the quality lacking, especially with cane fruit. With that said, your best bet is to freeze on sheet pans as soon after picking as possible.
You need to follow a safe tested recipe for jam. following safe tested recipes means they’re automatically very low risk.
No advice here, but I am doing something similar for my wedding soon, so I love the idea 🙂
The *Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving* jam recipe calls for 1 quart crushed berries (using a potato masher). I would crush the berries then pack per the freezing directions for the puree. You could use a ziplock bag.
—For storage of 4 oz jars, you could collect cardboard boxes from the grocery store produce department; the berry flats would work great because they can be stacked.
—For giving out as wedding favors, I would highly recommend sharing your recipe source and the processing time to indicate you’re using a tested recipe and are mindful of safety and allergies for those who care. I see a lot of posts on this sub around the holidays about people not trusting gifted canned goods and just tossing the contents, and it makes me sad.
https://preview.redd.it/4m95s5tf7ihd1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d11537dbea50188bad6bf8ac4ca13610f4988115
I follow the recipe from the fruit pectin package, er, website for all my jam. It’s easy and straightforward.
If properly canned, jam should store for a year.
Remember to remove the rings before storing your jars! You may want to put them back on before giving them out (so that people can reseal it in their fridge once it’s open), but it’s better to store them without the rings and then check them a few days before your wedding (make sure they’re all still well-sealed) as you reapply the rings for gifting.
(This is also a task that you could delegate to friends and family- I know the few days before the wedding can be busy for the couple and loved ones are often eager to help. Giving them some cartons of jam, showing them how to check the seal, and saying “check these and put rings and these labels on them” is a great task that lets them feel helpful and saves you time)
Tips for water bathing you’re using the 4 oz jars. Anything smaller than a pint you use this time for pints.
And if you want to freeze your berries, I would personally do a flash freeze where you put them in a single layer on like a cookie sheet or something on parchment paper. Freeze them in the freezer and then transfer them to an airtight container and then make your jam closer to your wedding
Freeze the fruit until you can use it. My favorite way to make jam is with pamonas pectin. Just follow the recipe that comes with it. It sets beautifully and doesn’t require as much sugar. It also let’s you double or triple the recipe. Keep in mind that jam recipes can’t be doubled unless it says so, otherwise they likely won’t set well.
Ideally you wouldn’t want to stack the jars and you would want to store them without the rings. Maybe find an old bookshelf or something?