Preserving Method: Water Bath Canning

Makes about 6 half pint (8 oz) 

Note that this recipe will only perform as expected when using the Ball® freshTECH Automatic Home Canning System.

You will need

• 4 cups Crushed berries (about 2 lbs or six 6 oz containers)
• 4-1/2 tbsp Ball® brand RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
• 1/2 tsp butter or margarine (optional)
• 5 cups granulated sugar
• 6 Ball® Half Pint (8 oz) Glass Preserving Jars with Lids and Bands
• Required: Ball^® freshTech Automatic Home Canning System

Directions

Pre-heat your empty jars

1. Remove Inner Pot from Appliance. Remove Rack; set aside.
2. Fill Inner Pot with warm tap water to fill line. Return Inner Pot to Appliance. Place Rack back into Inner Pot. Place empty jars onto Rack in Inner Pot. Set preserving lids and bands aside in your work space. Close and lock Appliance Lid.
3. Press Pre-Heat button, then press Start. The red Pre-Heating light will illuminate, and the Appliance will begin pre-heating your jars. In the meantime, you can start making your jam. Jars will be pre-heated when the green Ready light is flashing. Keep jars in Appliance, with Lid closed and locked, until ready to fill with jam.

Make your jam

1. Clean berries by rolling back and forth in an open towel. If dirt is obvious on berries, rinse carefully in cool running water and drain thoroughly. Crush berries one layer at a time using a potato masher. Measure required quantityof crushed berries and remaining ingredients for your recipe; set aside.
2. Place crushed berries in an 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in Ball^® brand RealFruit^® Classic Pectin. Add butter, if using. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
3. Add entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam, if necessary, from top of jam.

Preserve your jam

1. Unlock and open Appliance Lid.
2. Remove one hot jar. Close lid, but do not lock, to keep remaining jars hot. Ladle hot jam into hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Wipe any jam from the rim of the jar. Center new lid on jar. Twist on band until fingertip tight. Return filled jar onto Rack in Inner Pot.
3. Repeat step 2 until all jars are filled with jam and returned to Inner Pot. Close and lock Lid.
4. Press Jams & Jellies then press Recipe 1. Press Start to begin preserving.
5. The appliance will start sensing your recipe, indicated by the orange Sensing light. Then, the preserving phase will begin, indicated by the orange Preserving light. When your appliance beeps and the green Ready light is flashing, your jam has been successfully preserved! Press Stop. Unlock and open Lid.
6. Remove jars from Inner Pot using jar lifter and place upright on a towel. Allow to cool, undisturbed, for 12 to 24 hours. Refer to the After Canning section on page 21 to learn how to check lids for seals and store your jars.
7. Mixed Berry Variation: Use 4 cups of crushed mixed berries (any combination of raspberries, blueberries, and/or blackberries) in place of a single berry in this recipe. Follow the same recipe instructions as provided above for Make and Preserve Your Jam