Holiday Cranberry Jam - Homemade Food Gift

Holiday Cranberry Jam

I make this tangy treat at Christmas for family and friends. I especially like serving it for brunch along with some muffins or toast and fruit.

Sandee Berg Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 medium orange, peeled, and broken into sections
1 carton (16oz) frozen sliced strawberries, thawed
3 cups sugar
1 pouch (3oz) liquid fruit pectin

In a food grinder or food processor, coarsely grind cranberries and orange sections. Place in a Dutch oven with strawberries and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stir in the pectin. Skim off foam. Carefully ladle into hot half pint jars, leaving 1/4 in head space. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water canner.

Editor's Note: The processing time listed is for altitudes of 1,000 feet or less. Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.

YIELDS: 5 half pints

Plum Apple Butter - Homemade food gift

Plum Apple Butter

Use sweet plums and tart apples to create your own spread for breads and crackers. This creamy, fruity butter is perfect for a little glow on a winter day!

Nancy Michel Lakeland, Florida

3 medium fresh plums, pitted and quartered

2 medium tart apples, peeled and quartered

1/4 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

dash ground allspice

Place plums, apples and water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12 -15 minutes to until tender. Cool slightly.

Place in a blender, cover and process until pureed. Return all to the pan. Add sugar and spices, return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

Cool to room temperature. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks

YIELDS: 1-1/4 cups

Pear-adise Butter - Homemade food gift

Pear-adise Butter

Vanilla and rosemary accent this smooth spread that positively shouts "pears" throughout. Spread some on ordinary bread and you'll have a fruity feast.

Kristina Pontier Hillsboro, Oregon

4 cups pear juice

4 pounds pears, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 vanilla bean (3 inch) split in half lengthwise

3 fresh rosemary sprigs (4 inchs)
1 teaspoon white balsamic vinegar

In a large saucepan, bring pear juice to a boil; cook for 30 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Stir in pears and salt; return to boil, reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until pears are tender. Cool slightly

Transfer the pear mixture to a food processor, cover and process until smooth. Return to the pan; add vanilla bean. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 65-75 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally

Remove from heat. Discard vanilla bean. Stir in rosemary and vinegar; cover and let stand for 30 minutes.

Discard rosemary. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 

YIELDS ; 2 cups

Blueberry Jam - Homemade Food Gift

Blueberry Jam

At the height of blueberry season, you'll find me making many batches of this scrumptious jam. It's both sugar-free and cholesterol-free, so it's perfect for everyone!

Fran Boise Marion, New York

1/3 cup thawed apple juice concentrate

1 envelope plain gelatin

5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pour the apple juice concentrate into saucepan; sprinkle with gelatin and allow to soften for several minutes

Meanwhile, in a blender or food processor, finely chop blueberries, 1 cup at a time. Add lemon juice, spices and 2 cups of chopped berries to gelatin; heat over medium-low heat until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in remaining berries and mix well.

Pour into jars or plastic containers; store in the refrigerator up to three weeks.

Yield: 4 cups

Cherry Rhubarb Jam - Homemade Food Gift

Cherry Rhubarb Jam

This tangy, sweet spread is jam-packed with cherry flavor plus a hint of rhubarb. My brother gives jars of it to friends during the holidays. It's so tasty on toast and muffins.

Faye Sampson Radcliffe, Iowa

4 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 package (3oz) cherry gelatin

1 can (21oz) cherry pie filling

1/8 teaspoon almond extract, optional

In a large saucepan, combine rhubarb and sugar; let stand for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally

Bring to a boil; cook, uncovered, for ten minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Remove from heat; stir in gelatin until dissolved. Stir in pie filling and extract if desired. Transfer to jars; cool. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. 

Yields; 3 cups

Freezer Berry Jam - Homemade Food Gift

Freezer Berry Jam

We live on the farm where my husband was raised. Whenever we find wild berries nearby; I make this gorgeous ruby red jam. It's also wonderful as a breakfast sauce.

Rita Pischke Whitemouth, Manitoba

4 cups blueberries

2 cups raspberries

5 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3/4 cup water

1 package (1-3/4oz) powdered fruit pectin

In a large bowl, mash the blueberries. Add raspberries and mash. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Let stand for ten minutes. In small saucepan, bring water and pectin to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to fruit mixture; stir for 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Pour into jars or freezer containers, cool to room temperature about 30 minutes. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to a year

YIELD: 3-1/2 pints

Peach Raspberry Jam - Homemade Food Gifts

Peach Raspberry Jam

Back when my children were young, I put up about 100 jars of jams and jellies each summer, including this freezer version. Although I don't make that many now, I do stir up a batch to give to neighbors at Christmas time.

Donn White Wooster, Ohio

1-1/4 cups finely chopped peaches

2 cups fresh raspberries 

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

1 package (1-3/4oz) powdered fruit pectin. 

Place peaches in a large bowl, in a small bowl, mash the raspberries; strain to remove seeds if desired. Add raspberries and lemon juice to peaches. Stir in sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. In small saucepan, bring water and pectin to a full rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add to fruit mixture, stir for 2 -3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Pour into jars or freezer containers; cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Cover and let stand overnight or until set, but not longer than 24 hours. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to a year.

Yields: about 5 cups.