Low Sugar Mulberry Jam

I was asked for a recipe for low sugar mulberry jam. Since I didn't have such a recipe. I decided to do some experimenting. Actually all I did was buy a box of no sugar needed Sure-Jell and followed the instructions for low sugar raspberry jam, but replaced the raspberries with mulberries.



It set just fine and tasted great. May be I should use low sugar pectin more often.

5 cups crushed mulberries
4 cups sugar (divided)
1 package low sugar powdered pectin

Mix 1/4 cup of the sugar with the powdered pectin. Stir the pectin/sugar mix into the berries. Bring to rolling boil over high heat. Add remaining sugar, return to boil, and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary. Fill hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Add lids and process 10 minutes in a water bath.

High altitude instructions
1,001 - 3,000 feet : increase processing time by 5 minutes
3,001 - 6,000 feet : increase processing time by 10 minutes
6,001 - 8,000 feet : increase processing time by 15 minutes
8,001 - 10,000 feet : increase processing time by 20 minutes

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A Canning Jar Story

I don't know what made me think of this story. I also don't suppose it really fits into this blog since it isn't about preserving food, but what the heck. After all canning jars can be used for more than just preserving food.

My Mother (who was born in 1923) said that when she headed out to school each day, her mother would give her a canning jar full of cold soup and some bread and butter.


The teacher would put a large pan of water on the stove that was used to heat the school. She would put all of the kids jars in the pan. By noon, they had hot soup to eat.

Prior to when she told me that, I didn't think of kids at that time even having hot lunch at school

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Home Canned Chili

Having Canned Chili on hand is nice for those times when you want a quick meal. Make a big batch once and you have several meals that are just heat and eat.

Some jars of chili that can be heated in a small crock pot in a dorm room are also a nice gift for a college student who is missing Mom's cooking.

Although tomatoes are somewhat acidic, the overall PH of chili is high enough that it must be processed in a pressure canner.


Fill hot jars leaving 1 inch headspace. Add lids and process in a pressure canner at 10 pounds pressure. Process pints for 75 minutes or quarts for 90 minutes. For altitudes over 1000 feet use 15 pounds pressure.


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