So I always have this loooooooooong DIY list that I want to do in my life, and I decide to do random things here and there when I feel like it. I decided to pick one out to gift some loves in my life for Christmas this year; DIY homemade jam, aka “jam-packed” with love (:

The process itself doesn’t seem hard, but it did require some time and work! But now that I got it down, it will be a lot easier the next time I try! Here is my recipe on how to make homemade jam.

homemade jam

What you need: 

Jars- I ordered 8 oz. mason jars online (get them here or here)

Organic lemon

Organic fruit (I got 4 packs of fresh strawberries and 10 peaches)

Brown sugar/honey

Jar decor (stickers, ribbons, etc.)

homemade jam

Here’s my recipe:

  1. Boil the mason jars to clean them 100%
  2. Put the jars upside down on a paper towel to dry them completely
  3. Cut up and mash the fruit in a large bowl
  4. Drop some lemon juice in the fruit bowl (this will thicken the jam and help the jam last longer in your fridge!)
    ** Note: I made my jam a little thicker than what you’d normally expect to make them last longer! To do this, all you have to do is to add lemon juice as I mentioned above.
  5. Add sugar or honey- 3/4 cup for every 2 cups of fruit (I used this organic brown sugar. I also did not put as much sugar as other recipes mention. I think the fruits are naturally sweet to a certain extent that you shouldn’t have to add to much sugar. Honey is also a healthier option)
  6. Put everything in a pot, boil on high, and once it starts bubbling, bring the heat down to let it all simmer (peach: high for 20 minutes and simmer for 40 minutes, strawberry: high for 10 minutes and simmer for 20 minutes)
  7. Test by using a spoon and see if it holds its shape
  8. Once it does hold shape, let it cool, pour into jar, seal, and do some last-minute decor!

homemade jamhomemade jamhomemade jamhomemade jamhomemade jamI used some white fabric to wrap the lids and create a “jam” jar feel for some of mine. You can really go all out and have fun with the decor part (tie a pretty ribbon, get a patterned fabric, get some stickers for the lids, etc.) if you have the time! I made a total of 24 jars with 4 packs of fresh strawberries and 10 peaches, and I hope everyone who received a homemade jam from me enjoys it (:

homemade jam

  • Save time by using frozen fruit or canned fruit
  • Also, save time by using a mixer to grind all the fruits together
  • There are tons of printable stickers for jars out there to make your jar cuter! Examples here and here. 
  • Drop some lemon juice in the jam to make your homemade jam last longer
  • If the jam ends up being hard or too thick due to temperature, just take out a chunk and microwave it slightly to spread over your bread.

–CRYSTALL

homemade jam

 

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