Today we met at Taghhannuck Grange #100 in Sharon, CT for a Jam Session! For making all-natural pectin, Brent Prindle let us use his basket pole to pick green apples.
We took off their stems, cut them into quarters, and...
dumped them into a saucepan with just enough water to cover. While they cooked until soft on the stove...
Tal Hadani-Pease showed us how to make mixed-berry jam with honey and Pomona Universal Pectin.
We used Brent's magnetic tool rod to dunk the jar lids in hot water for 10 seconds....
... and then, tighten in place with the metal jar ring.
Once the apples were well cooked, Brent spooned them into a jellybag so the gelling pectin from the stems and peels would drain away from the mash. This is his natural pectin for adding to the fruit with lemon juice and mashed fruit to make jam.
Brent made a jam using rosehips, quince, and sugar. For six cups of berries and juice, he added 5 cups of sugar, saving out another cup to stir in, to speed it's cooking.
Using a large plastic measuring cup, Brent showed us how to fill the jars to 1/4 inch from the top...
...then we took turns putting a lid on it!
