Homemade jam better in pretty jars

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Homemade jam better in pretty jars

An ordinary object, used by generations of cooks throughout the world, can also be appreciated for its decorative qualities.

I have been making jams and jellies ever since I was a child, but I did not develop an interest in jelly jars until I began to collect clear blown-glass objects and discovered many iterations of this everyday storage container. Of course, there are the mass-produced jars by Ball and Kerr, with screw or clamp tops, that are familiar throughout the United States. The screw tops in particular are a convenient way to top the jellies, eliminating the need for the melted and poured paraffin toppers I was taught to use years ago.

In England, I learned about the flared, faceted pressed-glass jam pots and the parchment-paper or cellophane “jam-pot” covers used by British women to cover their preserves. My favourite jam jars are the rounded blown-glass pots from Sweden and France that have flared rims. A string is tied around a wet circle of parchment, and as the parchment dries and shrinks, it creates a tight seal over the contents. Traditionally, preserves are packaged in half- or quarter-pint sizes, which I like — any larger and an opened jar may languish in the refrigerator while other flavors are opened and tried.

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Raspberry Jam

This recipe is one of my favorites for savoring the midsummer berry.
Makes about 1 cup

12 ounces fresh raspberries (about 21/4 cups)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
11/8 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest, divided
Place a few small plates in the freezer. Stir berries, sugar, lemon juice and half the orange zest in a large, heavy pot. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar and mashing lightly with a potato masher. Skim foam from surface. Cook, stirring more frequently as jam thickens, until it has the consistency of very loose jelly, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat.
Remove a plate from freezer; drop a spoonful of jam on it. Return to freezer for 1 to 2 minutes; nudge edge of jam with a finger. It should hold its shape. If jam is too thin and spreads, return it to a boil, testing every minute, until jam holds its shape on a plate.
Strain about half the jam through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard seeds. Return strained jam to pot; stir in remaining zest. Return to a boil, then remove from heat. Let cool before using or storing. (Jam will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 month.)

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