#260 The Case of Raspberry Jam

Let's talk sugar. It's obvious we don't want to consume a lot of it. But conscientious consumption does add joy!

 

Speaking of conscientiousness, pure vegans choose organic sugar when a recipe calls for white sugar because regular sugar is widely filtered through animal bone char. Nevertheless, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the largest animal rights organization in the world, says on their website, "Don’t stress too hard about sugar if you’re unsure about how it was produced. You’re saving more than 100 animals per year by following a vegan lifestyle, and the effect will snowball as people around you, inspired by your choices, may start trying vegan meals once you’ve shown them how easy it can be."

 

Raspberry Jam

5 pints raspberries

1 57g-pack pectin

7 cups sugar

Wash 4 500-ml canning jars and lids in hot, soapy water and dry.

Place the jars, upright, in a cold oven and heat to 225ºF. Leave for 30 min.

Boil the lids and a knife for 5 min. in a canner filled to 3-1/2".

Drop in new caps, a funnel, a ladle and the ends of a pair of tongs.

Crush 3/5 of the raspberries.

 

Remove the seeds from the other 2/5 of the raspberries by forcing them through a sieve.

Altogether, you will need 5 cups of raspberry pulp. Pour into into a large pot. Whisk in the pectin until dissolved.

Stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar. Stirring constantly, return the mixture to a full, rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 min. still stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and skim off the foam.

Pick the funnel out of the canner with the tongs. Using the funnel, ladle the jam into the hot, sterilized jars set on a cushion of rags, leaving about 1/4" head space.

Remove air bubbles by drawing the knife around the edges and through the centres of the jars. If necessary, wipe the rims with a clean, damp cloth.

Cap.

Add the filled and capped jars to the canner of warm water—a specialized metal rack will prevent jars from rattling on the bottom of the canner and avoid cracking. Add more hot water to cover the jars by at least 1". Cover the canner and bring the water to a boil. Processing time begins the moment the water reaches a rolling boil. Boil vigorously, adding more boiling water if necessary.

 

Process for 5 min at altitudes under 1,000 feet. For altitudes between 1,000 and 6,000, process for 10 min. For altitudes above 6,000, process for 15 min.

With tongs, remove the jars from the canner and let them cool for 24 hours away from drafts. Do not tighten the lids.

When cool, tighten the lids. The caps should curve inward. Wipe the jars with a damp cloth, and dry them.

Prepare one recipe at a time.

Makes 4 500-ml jars.

 

♥ Becki