Over the weekend, Stephen took the kids to his parent’s house while I went on an adventure with a friend to pick raspberries. The Sweetwater Berry Farm is located about an hour north of us up in the mountains in Ahwahnee California. We splurged and bought fresh basil and oregano, plumb tomatoes (with the intention of making tomato sauce and canning it) and cherry tomatoes.

The berries that the kids and I did not devour, went into making raspberry jam and, as suggested by my friend Patty, raspberry scones. We used the Raspberry Jam recipe from the Ball Blue Book for canning. This was my first time making jam and canning. I must say, it was a lot easier than I had anticipated; many thanks to Patty who was a great teacher. The jam turned out really sweet, however; the kids loved it.

Raspberry Jam
1 quart Raspberries, mashed
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid Pectin
7-8 (1/2 Pint) Mason Jars with lids

Wash the lids in hot soapy water. Let dry. Place the 1/2 pint jars and rings in a pot. Do not allow the water to boil. Simmer until ready to fill.

In a sauce pan add 1 quart mashed raspberries. When the berries begin to bubble add 6 1/2 cups sugar. Once the sugar is dissolved add one pouch of liquid pectin. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil hard for one minute. Remove from heat. Scrape the foam off the top.

Remove jars from the water bath. Using a funnel, ladle the jam into the jars. Fill to the first line from the bottom. As the jam cools, it will expand. Wipe the rims clean. Top with the lids then screw on the ring.

Place the filled jars back into the water bath, making sure the jars do not touch. Add enough water to cover 1-2 inches.

Bring water to a rolling boil. Boil covered for 10 minutes. Remove from bath and let sit at least 24 hours. To determine if the lids are properly sealed, press down in the center of the lid. If it clicks or caves in under the pressure it is not sealed. You can repeat the water bath or store the jam in the refrigerator.