UPDATE 4/19:  I am scaling back on the jam operation.  I’ll still be making jams, but I’m not going to be advertising them.  If you wish to purchase jam (locally only, I don’t ship), please use the contact information at the bottom of this page, and I’ll let you know what I have available.  Thank you.

I am now making jams for sale, available locally.  (I would ship them, but the cost of shipping for something as heavy as four small jars of jam doubles the price, and it’s simply cost-prohibitive.)

So, for all you local friends and readers, here’s the rundown on my low-sugar, homemade fruit jams with no preservatives or artificial ingredients.  Most of my jams are made with:

*Organic fruit (mostly home-grown).  I do make some jams from non-organic fruits when I can’t grow the fruit myself.

*Organic sugar.  I don’t use corn syrup or high-fructose corn syrup in my preserves.

*More fruit in the jar than any other ingredient.  In my jams, I use 5-7 cups of fruit to about 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit.  In homemade jams with Sure-jell, to 5 and 1/2 cups of fruit, you’ll typically add 7 cups of sugar, depending on the fruit, and commercial jams and jellies are even worse because they are usually made with high-fructose corn syrup instead of sugar.  Are you seeing this correctly?  Yes, you are.  It’s the process I use to create the jam, an old-fashioned long-cooking process, that allows me to bring out the natural sweetness of the fruit, so I don’t need all that sugar.  This jam tastes more like fresh fruit than the homemade, quick-cooking types of jams and jellies made with commercial pectin.

*Homemade pectin stock made with organic apple peels.  Most fruits contain plenty of pectin in their skins to make great jam and jelly without the need for commercial pectins, which require much sugar to jell.  There are a few exceptions.  For these fruits, like peaches (which have fuzzy skin so peeling is a must) or hot peppers or green tomatoes, I make apple pectin stock from my own organic apple peelings (a by-product of making apple pie filling and dried apples).  I add this pectin stock to the fruit to get a nice, thick set, so your jam or jelly doesn’t spill all over your toast or biscuit.  You can’t taste the apple, but it gives that nice set to the jam or jelly.

Right now, I am selling jams made in 2018.  Homemade, home-canned jams and jellies will last for years in the jar, but I am only selling what was made no more than a year previously.

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL! Buy four or more jars of jam and take .50 off each jar.  Four 8 oz. jars of any jam/$20.  Four 16 oz. jars of any jam/$36. Mix and match: .50 off each jar with a purchase of 4 or more jars.  This is the perfect gift for that hard-to-buy-for person in your life, and homemade jam is also a nice change from wine for a hostess gift when you’re going to holiday parties.

Available now for local delivery in limited quantities:

Mixed Berry Jelly: Made with blackberries and what I’ve been told are Loganberries from my organic garden. Loganberries are a cross between blackberries and raspberries.  The berries look like blackberries but are more purple, larger, juicier, and sweeter. I remove the seeds from the berry pulp and juice for a smooth jelly because I don’t like the large seeds. Made from my own, homegrown, organic berries, this jelly is very close in flavor to blackberry but with a subtle difference added by the Loganberries.  All red and purple berries are loaded with antioxidants, so this jelly is actually good for you!  Ingredients:  Organic Blackberry and Loganberry juice, organic sugar, lemon juice. $5.50/ half-pint jar.  $9.50/ pint jar.

Old-fashioned Strawberry Jam:  Made with my own organic strawberries, with over 2 cups of fruit in a half-pint jar!  It takes a lot of berries to make this jam, and between picking, cleaning and hulling, and jam-making, I must have at least 20 hours into a single batch. I can guarantee you that you cannot find a jam like this in any store, nor in most kitchens.  Consider that most homemade jams put up with a commercial pectin like Sure-Jell are made with 7 cups of sugar (or more) or 5 1/2 cups of fruit, and then compare that to my jam.  My recent batch contained 14 cups of organic fruit and 5 cups of organic sugar.  Let’s not even go into what’s in a commercial jam besides the ubiquitous high-fructose corn syrup. I guess it all depends on what you want on your toast: fruit or corn syrup and sugar.  I know what I want on mine! (See the whole berries in the pic below!) Ingredients:  Organic strawberries, organic sugar, organic apple pectin stock (see above), lemon juice. $9.50/pint jar. I only have pints for sale this year.

Nectarine and Vanilla Jam:  Because unlike a peach, the nectarine’s close cousin, there’s no fuzz on a nectarine, the skin (with its natural pectin to set the jam) doesn’t have to be removed.  The red skins give the jam a beautiful rosy color.  Another summer-in-a-jar flavor. This jam is made with my organic, home-grown nectarines and vanilla sugar.  Vanilla sugar is made by splitting vanilla bean pods and immersing them in sugar to transfer the flavor (and a few tiny black vanilla specks).  I use organic sugar to make my vanilla sugar. Ingredients:  Organic nectarines, vanilla organic sugar, lemon juice. $5.50/half-pint jar. I only have half-pints for sale this year.

Blackberry Jelly:  Jelly is made from the juice of a fruit, minus the pulp and/or seeds.  My blackberry jelly is made from my own, homegrown, organic blackberries.  I remove the seeds, but I don’t clarify the juice (remove pulp), so it has more body than a store-bought jelly, and so much more flavor!  Ingredients: Organic blackberry juice, organic sugar, lemon juice.  $5.50/ half-pint jar.  $9.50/ pint jar.

Jalapeno Jelly with Lime:  In the sweet/savory category is my Jalapeno Jelly made with homegrown, organic jalapeno (and sometimes Serrano) peppers from my garden.  I use this jelly on toast, etc., as well as for an hors d’oeuvre topping cream cheese or any other soft cheese on a cracker.  It’s a beautiful, rich, red color that is completely natural and comes from the peppers, not from any artifical colors. If you like spicy-sweet, Jalapeno Jelly with Lime will please your taste buds.  Ingredients:  Organic hot peppers (jalapeno and Serrano), red bell peppers, sugar, apple pectin stock (made from organic apples), lime juice, apple cider vinegar. $5.50/half-pint jar. I only have half-pints for sale this year in limited quantity.

Santa Rosa Plum Jam:  This jam is made with organic fruit from my own plum tree.  The flavor is tart like a good, ripe Santa Rosa (red) plum, but sweet enough to lick off the spoon!  Ingredients:  organic Santa Rosa plums, organic sugar, lemon juice.  $5.50/half-pint jar.  I only have half-pints for sale this year.

Raspberry with Lime Jam:  From my organic raspberry patch!  This jam contains the small seeds of the raspberries along with organic sugar, lime juice, and lemon juice, for a rich, raspberry flavor.  $5.50/half-pint jar. I only have half-pints for sale this year.

Ordering information:  Call (530) 253-2580, or call or text (775) 772-3049, or email french.jeanie@yahoo.com. Local sales only.  Shipping is cost-prohibitive.

The following jams are no longer available (until next year).

Apple Butter

Green Tomato Marmalade

Jailhouse Jam (Apricot)

Above:  Old-fashioned Strawberry Jam, and on the right, Strawberry Beverage Syrup (for spritzers and cocktails).

My Canning Credentials:

I have been canning and preserving food for 50 years.  I learned to can from my mother, and I follow the practices set out in the Ball Blue Books for preserving jams and jellies.  I always follow the canning guidelines and safe practices approved by the USDA, and I stay current on updated information on food safety and home food preservation.  All my recipes are tested and approved by family, friends, and customers!

Ordering information:  Call (530) 253-2580, or call or text (775) 772-3049, or email french.jeanie@yahoo.com. Local sales only.  Shipping is cost-prohibitive.