Four Berry Jam

Us Minnesotans have been annoyed as of late that strange, Autumn-like weather descended upon us, bringing cold, cloudy gray days right smack in the middle of July. I knew that this cool weather provided optimal conditions for my least favorite hobby so, comforted by the knowledge that I wouldn't be sweating over pots of boiling jam and water, I set off to can the afternoon away.

I can't give the exact proportions of each type of berry used but can say that for this jam, you will need 5 cups of crushed fruit. What I ended up doing was crushing a single layer of each fruit (which is always how you should crush fruit for jams to ensure uniform texture) and then added it to a large measuring cup, repeating until 5 cups was reached. The end result was tasty indeed: dark burgundy in color with a rich berry flavor.

For 8 Half Pint Jars:

• Strawberries, stemmed, cored, and quartered
• Blackberries
• Raspberries (I pushed half of the crushed raspberries through a sieve to take out some seeds)
• Blueberries
• 2 tablespoons fresh strained lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 7 cups sugar
• 1 package liquid pectin

In a large 8-quart pot, combine the 5 cups of crushed berries, lemon juice, butter and sugar over low heat. Start stirring the mixture, turning the heat up in small increments until all the sugar is dissolved, not bringing the heat up past medium. Turn the heat to medium-high and stirring constantly, let the mixture come to a full, rolling boil. Quickly squeeze in the pectin, and stir briskly for one minute. Take the pot off the heat and set a timer for 5 minutes. Each minute, stir the mixture gently to distribute the fruit throughout the jelly.

Ladle the jam into the prepared, hot, sterilized jars and process in a water bath for 10 minutes.

For detailed canning and sterilization procedures, click here.