Four Berry Jam

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh blackberries (or frozen unsweetened, thawed and undrained)
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (or frozen unsweetened, thawed and undrained)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries (or frozen unsweetened, thawed and undrained)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (or frozen unsweetened, thawed and undrained)
• 1 (1 3/4 ounce) box pectin (not low-sugar or no-sugar varieties)
• 7 cups sugar

Directions

1. 1

   Prepare your jars in advance--sterilize them and keep the jars, lids, and rings warm while preparing the jam. Have all tools ready and handy (ladle, towel, wet cloth, canning jar funnel, etc).

2. 2

   Crush berries in a large, non-reactive (such as stainless steel) saucepot. Stir in pectin until dissolved.

3. 3

   Bring to a full, rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly to avoid scorching (reduce heat to medium-high if needed).

4. 4

   Stir in sugar. Return to a full, rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute (starting from when you can no longer stir the bubbles down).

5. 5

   Remove from heat and quickly skim off any foam. You must move quickly at this point to prevent the jam from cooling off too much.

6. 6

   Quickly ladle hot jam into hot, sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

7. 7

   Wipe rims with a clean, warm, damp cloth to ensure a good seal. Place lids on jars and screw rings on snugly but not too tight. Flip jars upside down. Let stand upside down for 5 minutes, then turn right-side up again. Let sit for one hour.

8. 8

   After one hour, check seals. If any lids are still popped up (there is a bump in the center of the lid that should be down if the jar is sealed, and up if not), then refrigerate and use immediately, or process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

9. 9

   Store jars in a cool, dark place until ready to use; use within 1 year.