From Field to Jar: Raspberry Jam

After a quick trek, a closed u-pick field, and a bit of navigation- Saturday afternoon was spent going a little bit crazy picking raspberries at Harvold Berry Farm in Carnation, Washington.  We had originally set out to pick at Remlinger Farms but when we got there we found out that their raspberry field was closed that day, and they directed us down the road to Harvold.  We were not one ounce disappointed, as the field was full and the berries were sweet.  Plus at $2/lb there really isn't much to complain about.  Matao and I ended up with fifteen and a half pounds!  Only a small portion of those berries went into the freezer or were eaten fresh.  The rest were made into jam!

 

The recipe that we used is just about the easiest jam you could ever make.  It consists of two ingredients: raspberries, and sugar.  That's it!  I prefer to use organic unrefined sugar, as that's what I normally cook with- but feel free to use whichever type you prefer.

Ingredients:
- 4 cups sugar
- 4 cups fresh raspberries, crushed (I pack them into my glass measure and smush smush smush)

Directions:
1. Sterilize your jars, rings and lids.  (At this stage just do the first and second steps.)
2. Add raspberries to a large stainless steel pot.  Bring berries to a full boil, smashing them with a potato masher or large spoon as they heat.  Allow to boil hard for one full minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add sugar, and return to a boil.**
4. Boil until mixture begins to form a gel.*  This may take from 5-10 minutes.
5. Spoon hot jam into dry, sterile jars.  Process using the second part of the directions from step one.  Here.  When your lids make a cute little "ping!" sound- you know that they're sealed!

* "To determine when the mixture will form a gel, use the spoon test: Dip a cool metal spoon into the hot fruit. Immediately lift it out and away from the steam and turn it horizontally. At the beginning of the cooking process, the liquid will drip off in light, syrupy drops. Try again a minute or two later — the drops will be heavier. The jam is done when the drops are very thick and two run together before falling off the spoon." - Source

**  If your jam seems too foamy once it starts cooking- adding a dab of butter to your pot will take care of it.  Otherwise it's fine to skim the foam off the top once the jam is done cooking.

Also note: It's perfectly normal for your entire kitchen to look like this once finished!  Our arms, faces, shirts, and hair were covered in little molten jam specs as well.