Is Homemade Jam Healthy?

You can make homemade jam healthier than store bought jams by using less sugar and no synthetic preservative or ingredients but there is still a lot of sugar in homemade jams. So, healthier but not healthy.

Tips For Making Your Homemade Jam and Jelly Healthier

Use Less Sugar

If you are using sweet fruit like strawberries, apricots, peaches or plums you can use a lot less sugar in your jams and it still taste sweet and delicious. When try a new recipe add half of the sugar and cook for a few minutes then taste the jam. Add more till you reach your desired sweetness. When using cranberries in your recipes you will want to use the recommended amount of sugar due to there sour and sometimes bitter taste.

Substitutes For Sugar

Honey, maple syrup, and stevia are all great healthy substitutes for sugar! I prefer doing half sugar and honey rather than doing 100% honey or another sweetener.

When omitting sugar from your jam recipes it will effect the thickening of you jam. To be successful use the right pectin. Pectin and sugar work together in thickening and firming the jam. There is pectin that does not require sugar to activate, such as, Real Fruit Pectin.

Do Cranberries Have Natural Pectin?

Yes! Cranberries have lots of natural pectin and firm up really well the longer you let them simmer.

Do Persimmons Have Natural Pectin?

Yes! Persimmons have natural pectin. Although they have a natural pectin they may not have enough to get your jam to your desired texture. That is why this recipe uses cranberries. They have a lot more natural pectin helping thicken my persimmons and creates a wonderful blend of flavor.

Different Types of Persimmons

There are two main types of persimmons Fuyu and Hachiya. Fuyu is the sweet, eat like an apple delicious when raw persimmon fruit. It is short, with tough skin and juicy flesh. Hachiya is not like the Fuyu. It is long and although sweet with the same flavor as the Fuyu it often has a mouth drying feeling when you eat it. This is due to what’s called Astringency. The best way to use Hachiya persimmons is by cooking them or waiting till they are over ripe to eat.

Either choice is good for jam. Both are sweet and cook the same. When ever I get Hachiya persimmons I always make jam with them. This year we had an abundance of Fuyu and enjoyed them daily with enough to make our jam.

How to Make Cranberry Persimmon Jam

Prepare Your Persimmons

Cut and peel your persimmons in small pieces. Trim off any blemishes.

Cook Your Jam

In a large pot cook on medium high the persimmons, cranberries sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and all-spice. Let it simmer and cook for about 30 minutes.

The jam should thicken up. You can test the texture by taking a tablespoon of the jam and placing it in the freezer for a minute to see how thick the jam sets when cooled.

Blend You Fruit

After its cook for a while. Use an immersion blender to blend your jam to your desired consistency. I like a few chucks of fruit but not a lot. You can also place you jam in a blender or mash it with a potato masher. The longer it cooks the more the fruit will brake down but it is faster if you blend it.

Store Your Jam

Clean your jars and sanitize if you plan on water bath canning them. Use a ladle and a canning funnel for clean easy transfer into the jars.

Without canning your jars will last 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator. With canning they will last up to a year in your pantry. Once opened, 3-4 weeks in the refrigerator.

How To Water Bath Can Jam

Wash and sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings. You can sterilize by placing the clean jars in boiling water with a 1/2 cup of vinegar for ten minutes. I always wash my rings and lids with hot soupy water and put them in a stainless steal strainer above the boiling water on top of the jars to steam them.

The vinegar is optional. I use it because are water is hard and leaves spots on the jars unless I use the vinegar.

Heat water to a light simmer in a large canning pot and with a canning jar rack.

When the jam is hot poor it into your jars leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace.

Clean off the rim of your jars with a little white vinegar and place the lids and rings on finger tight, no tighter. With your jar tongs place your jars with hot jam into the hot water. (You can also work with cold jam but you will need the water to also be cool.)

Bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the jars remain in the water for another 10 minutes before taking out. Take out and let cool. After a few hours take the rings off and check the seal by lifting gently on the lid.

Cranberry Persimmon Jam

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients

• 20 Persimmons
• 8 cups of cranberries (fresh or frozen)
• 6 cups sugar
• Zest from 2 oranges
• Juice from 2 oranges
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon all-spice

Instructions

1. Cut and peel your persimmons in small pieces
2. In a large pot cook on medium high the persimmons, cranberries sugar, orange juice and zest, cinnamon, and all-spice.
3. Let it simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. The jam should thicken up. You can test the texture by taking a tablespoon of the jam and placing it in the freezer for a minute to see how thick the jam sets when cooled.
4. Poor you jam in clean sterilize jars and enjoy!

You can keep your jam in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks. Or you can water bath can your jam for longer shelf life.

Water Bath Canning

1. Wash and sterilize your canning jars, lids and rings.
2. Heat water to a light simmer in a large canning pot and with a canning jar rack.
3. When the jam is hot poor it into your jars leaving a 1/2 inch of headspace.
4. Clean off the rim of your jars with a little white vinegar and place the lids and rings on finger tight, no tighter.
5. With your jar tongs place your jars with hot jam into the hot water. (You can also work with cold jam but you will need the water to also be cool.)
6. Bring the water to a boil for 10 minutes.
7. Turn off the heat and let the jars remain in the water for another 10 minutes before taking out.
8. Take out and let cool. After a few hours take the rings off and check the seal by lifting gently on the lid.

The post Cranberry Persimmon Jam Recipe (no pectin) appeared first on Embracing The Home.

• How to Make Lemonade Concentrate
• How to Can Lemonade Concentrate
• How to Freeze Lemonade Concentrate
• FAQs

How to Make Lemonade concentrate

In order to make this large batch of lemonade you will need, 

• a lot of lemons
• a juicer, 
• sugar
• and a large pot

1. Juice 10 cups of fresh lemon juice. You can do this by hand or a hand juice but I highly recommend you use an electric juice. 
2. Add 4-5 cups of sugar* to the 10 cups of your freshly squeezed lemon juice in a large pot. I actually used 6 cups of sugar the first time I made this and it was too sweet and I lost the tangy taste of the lemon. So I suggest adding 4 cups of sugar and tasting it then adding more if needed.
3. Heat on medium heat to high heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir continuously to help the process. You want the sugar fully dissolved but you don’t need to boil it. 
4. Poor in to pint or quart size mason jars. Freeze or Can your homemade lemonade concentrate to store for 6-12 month or in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. 
5. To make lemonade poor 1 part concentrate to 3 parts cold water. Stir and enjoy on a hot summer day.

* I use Meyer lemons, they are sweeter then other lemons. If you are using Lisbon or Eureka Lemons, which are more tart, you will probably want more sugar.

How to Can Lemonade Concentrate

To Can the lemonade concentrate you will need 

• Canning jars
• Canning lids
• Water bath canner
• Jar lifter
• Funnel
• Ladle
• and a little vinegar on a clean rag.

1. First, sanitize your canning jars and lid. Wash in hot water, then boil/steam the jars in canning pot for 10 minutes. They don’t all have to be submerged, the steam will sanitize them. I also place all my lids and ring in my stainless steel colander and steam them on top of the jars while they boil.
2. When done place the clean jars on the counter on a clean kitchen towel, let them air dry. 
3. Using the funnel, ladle the hot concentrate into prepared canning jars. Leaving 1/4 inch headspace from top. 
4. Clean the top of the jars with little vinegar to insure a clean seal and put prepared lids and rings on finger tight. Don’t twist too tight or you may get a false seal. 
5. Heat water in a water bath canning pot to 180 degrees or until steaming but not boiling. I also add a splash of vinegar to the water to help with any hard water spots on my can. I like them coming out clean and pretty. 
6. Place jars with hot lemonade concentrate in the hot water bath canning pot. The goal is for the liquid in the can and the water in the canning pot to be of similar temperature. If the one is cold and one is hot it could break the glass. The cans need to be fully submerged giving at least an inch of water covering them.
7. Bring to a boil they may could take 20 minutes and boil for 10 minutes then turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes before taking them out.
8. Take them out using your jar lifter and set them on a kitchen towel on the counter. Let cool completely before taking the rings off.
9. Check for any false seals and store on a shelf for 12-18 months. To make lemonade, mix 1 pint of juice with 3 pints of water.

How to freeze Lemonade Concentrate 

To freeze lemonade concentrate you will need 

• A container for freezing. Canning jar or ice cube tray or freezer ziploc bags.
• Measure cup or ladle

Freezing in mason jars. 

1. Clean your pint jar or quart sized mason jars and lids with very hot soupy water. 
2. Using a funnel and ladle, poor your lemonade concentrate your clean mason jar. Leave a 1/2-1 inch head space. 
3. Either freeze without the lids off for 12-24 hours to allow expansion without pressure or make sure your lids are on loosely. The next day tighten your lids just till they are tight, don’t over tighten. 
4. To make lemonade, take your concentrate out and let thaw our in the fridge or on the counter. Once thawed enough to slide out of the jar you can mix it with 3 parts (3 jars) of water till completely dissolved.
   Tip! For quick thawing you can the jar in room temperature to warm, not hot water. Too hot and your mason jar might break. Once loose enough to come out of the jar you can poor 1 jar of warm water to help it thaw then add 2 jars of cold water for a refreshing drink. 

Freezing in Ice Cube Trays 

1. Poor your lemonade concentrate into clean ice cube trays
2. Freeze in ice cube trays for 12-24 hours then transfer to a freezer zip lock bag for longer storage. 
3. To make lemonade a pitcher take 14 lemonade concentrate ice cubes and stir till dissolved into 5-6 cups of water. 
4. To make 1 glass of lemonade take 2-3 lemonade concentrate ice cubes to 12 oz cup of water. Mix and enjoy on a hot summer day. 

Freezing in ziploc bags

1. Poor 2 cups of lemonade concentrate into a quart size freezer ziploc bags. 
2. Label and lay flat to freeze. 
3. To make lemonade thaw our your ziploc bags of concentrate in the fridge, on the counter or in a bowl of hot water. 
4. Mix with 6 cups of water (1 part concentrate to 3 parts water) to make about 1/2 a gallon or 8 cups of lemonade.

FAQ’s 

What types of lemons should I use?

You can use any type of lemons you want or have available. Some lemons are sweeter (Meyer) and other are more tart (Lisbon). Depending of the type you use you may want to add or leave out some of the sugar to get the desired taste for your lemonade. 

How many cups of water to I add to the concentrate?

1 part lemonade concentrate and 3 parts water has given me best results. I you are unsure do 1 part concentrate and 2 parts water. Taste your lemonade till the desired strength. 

How long does frozen lemonade concentrate last?

You can keep your frozen concentrate for up to 1 year. 

How long does canned lemonade concentrate last?

You can keep canned lemonade concentrate for 12-18 months. Best flavor with in the first year.

Lemonade Concentrate

Yield: 7-8 Pint Jars

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Additional Time: 3 minutes

Total Time: 33 minutes

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Ingredients

• 10 cups lemon juice
• 4-5 cups sugar

Instructions

1. Juice 10 cups of lemon juice and pour in a large pot.
2. Add 4-5 cups sugar. Start with 4 cups and taste later, add more until you reach your desired sweetness.
3. Heat on medium to high heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Stir continuously to help the process. You want the sugar fully dissolved but you don’t need to boil it.
4. Prepare jars and lids, and bring water in canner to 180 degrees.
5. Pour concentrate to jars, clean off rim before placing the lids and rings.
6. Place in water bath canner and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit in water for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Take out of canner and let cool completely before taking rings off Store on shelf for 12-18 months.
8. To make lemonade, mix 1 pint of juice with 3 pints of water.

The post Homemade Lemonade Concentrate (Frozen or Canning) appeared first on Embracing The Home.

1. Freezing Lemons Whole
2. Freezing Lemons In Slices
3. Freezing Lemon Juice
4. Lemon Curd
5. Canning Lemon Juice
6. Canning Lemonade Concentrate
7. Lemon Vinegar Cleaner

I have a 35+ year old Meyer lemon tree that is large and vibrant in my backyard. I’ve been enjoying this lemons tree for over 12 years myself and during the winter I pick a lemon or two when I need them but now its towards the end of spring and it’s time for me to pick every lemon off the tree and preserve them so that the new blossoms can begin to grow new lemons for next winter.

Freezing Lemons Whole

Freezing Lemons whole, although first and simplest on my list, is usually the last thing I do. Once I’ve made all the recipes and preserving and I just don’t want them to go bad but I don’t have the time to do anymore with lemons. Just throw them in the freezer.

Lemons keep in the freezer for 6 months. You can zest them frozen or thaw them out to juice. They only take 10- 15 minutes to thaw. You can place them in a bowl of warm water or just an empty bowl and let thaw. Freezing your lemons will keep them very juicy and are great for lemonade.

Freezing Lemons in Slices

Freezing slices takes a couple extra steps but makes them a lot easier to use. I like to use the slices when cooking fish or chicken. I also love lemon water so I will grab a couple frozen lemon slices and now I have a refreshing glass of water, add some mint leaves from the garden and it’s magic!

To freeze lemons in slices you will want a cooking sheet and wax or parchment paper to freeze the slices on before placing them in a container or bag. If you skip this step they will freeze together and be very difficult to take apart for separate use.

Freezing Lemons Juice

I freeze my lemon juice in ice cube trays then store them in gallon Ziploc bags in the freezer. I use these for everything, lemonade, smoothies, lemon sauces, lemon cakes, lemons bars, lemon anything! I just thaw a cube or two and make my recipe. 1 lemon ice cube is approximately 3 tablespoons of juice.

You can also freeze your lemon juice in Ziploc bags or other containers but I prefer the cube trays. We use them practically everyday by simply adding them to our water.

Lemon Curd

My mother-in-law introduced me to lemon curd years ago and it’s a favorite in our house. I love it on toast, or shortbread cookies. Angel food cake with lemon curd is also a favorite combination not only because it’s DELICIOUS but because angel food cake is all egg whites, while lemon curd is mostly egg yolks. Add some strawberries and it’s a perfect summer dessert.

Easy Lemon Curd Recipe

Canning Lemon Juice

Water bath canning lemon juice is simple if you are already into canning. If you have never canned and don’t have the set up for it, then I would stick to freezing your lemon juice.  Canning does save you freezer space and lemon juice is very shelf stable. I often find myself freezing lemon juice more and canning lemonade.

Canning Lemonade Concentrate

I love having my lemonade concentrate. It’s just lemon juice and sugar. Lemonade mix from the store may be easy but lemonade concentrate from my own backyard lemons is SOOO much better. I can’t even… It’s just so wonderful!

This week I canned 23 pints of lemonade concentrate. I canned 3 batches of 10 cups lemon juice with 6 cups sugar. When you want to make lemonade just add three pints of water and done. I probably could have only put 4-5 cups of sugar in but my husband likes it sweet. I like it tart so I will just add an extra frozen lemon cube to my lemonade.

Lemonade Concentrate Recipe

Lemon Vinegar Cleaner

Last but not the least, lemon vinegar cleaner is actually made with the lemon peels from the lemons I just juiced. I put them in a jar with vinegar and let it sit on the counter for 2 weeks. After the 2 weeks I strain the lemons peels out and I can now dilute the vinegar with water. 1 part vinegar to 1 part lemon vinegar makes for a great cleaner.

Rubbing alcohol also makes for a great addition to your vinegar cleaners. I often will add 1 part rubbing alcohol to my water and lemon vinegar for more of a disinfectant cleaner. The lemon not only adds a great scent to offset the vinegar smell but adds acidity making it easier to get stubborn grime and watermarks off.

Is There More??

I know that there are so many more ways out there to preserve and use lemons. If there’s something else you think I should give a try and add to the list please comment below. I would love the suggestions.

The post Preserving Lemons 7 Different Ways appeared first on Embracing The Home.