Okay, so, golden berry jam… yeah, I decided to give it a shot. Never made it before, but I saw these golden berries at the store and thought, “Why not?”
First things first, I grabbed a couple of those little clamshell containers of golden berries. I think it was around two pints total. Then, I looked up a few recipes online – just wanted to get a general idea, you know? Didn’t want to screw it up completely.
Ingredients I used:
- Golden berries (about 2 pints)
- Sugar (around 2 cups, but I adjusted it later – more on that in a bit)
- Lemon juice (from one lemon)
- A splash of vanilla extract (just because I like it)
Okay, let’s get to the actual process. I started by washing the golden berries. They’re kinda sticky, so I gave them a good rinse. Then, I chopped them up a little bit. Not too fine, I still wanted some texture in the jam.
Next, I tossed the chopped berries into a big pot. Added the sugar, lemon juice, and that little splash of vanilla. Gave it all a good stir.
Now comes the waiting game. I let the mixture sit for about 30 minutes. The sugar needs to draw out the juices from the berries. It gets all syrupy and nice.
Alright, time to cook! I put the pot on the stove over medium heat. Brought it to a boil, stirring pretty constantly. You gotta watch it, because it can scorch easily. Nobody wants burnt jam.
Once it was boiling, I lowered the heat a bit and let it simmer. This is where the magic happens. You just gotta keep stirring and let the mixture thicken up. It took a while, maybe around 30-40 minutes. The color got darker and richer, and the consistency changed from watery to, well, jammy.
Here’s where I had to make a little adjustment. I tasted it, and it was a bit too tart for my liking. So, I added another quarter cup of sugar. Stirred it in and let it cook for a few more minutes. Taste as you go, that’s my motto!
To check if it was ready, I did the old “spoon test.” I put a spoonful of jam on a plate that I’d stuck in the freezer earlier. Let it sit for a minute, then tilted the plate. If the jam wrinkled a little, it was good to go. And it did! Victory!
Now, for the canning part. I didn’t go all-out with the full-on sterilization process. I just made sure my jars and lids were clean and hot. Poured the hot jam into the jars, leaving about a quarter-inch of headspace. Wiped the rims clean, put on the lids and rings, and tightened them up.
I let the jars cool completely on the counter. As they cooled, I heard those satisfying “pop” sounds, which means the lids sealed properly. If any of them didn’t seal, I’d just stick them in the fridge and eat that jam first.
And that’s it! Golden berry jam, made from scratch. It’s actually pretty tasty. A little sweet, a little tart, with a unique flavor that’s hard to describe. I’ve been putting it on toast, crackers, even a little dollop on yogurt. Not bad for my first try, if I do say so myself.
