Easy Pineapple Jam

Three summers ago, I decided to teach myself how to make my own jam.  Since then, store bought jam is something I don't need to buy any longer.  If you've never made your own jam, I can tell you that it's much easier than you think.  Of course, you do need to invest in a "canning kit"-- which includes a large pot, rack for the jars, funnel and a few other tools to make things a little easier.  I show you how I made my first batch of strawberry jam here.

I spotted this recipe on Colleen's Recipe's, and bookmarked it some time ago.  I've always made jam with fresh fruit, but this recipe uses canned crushed pineapple, and pineapple juice.  The remaining two ingredients are pectin and sugar.   I finally decided to try this recipe, because I wanted to make a glaze for our Easter ham.

I was pleasantly surprised at how little work, and time, this takes to make.  Simply empty a 20 oz. can of sweetened crushed pineapple, add about 6 oz. of pineapple juice-- then add one box of pectin (I used Sure-Jell) and give it a stir.

After reading Colleen's notes, I decided to break down the pineapple to be much smaller, just like she does. An immersion blender solves that problem, quite easily. Otherwise, blend the pineapple before adding it to a heavy bottomed pot.

Add 3 cups of sugar.  Yes, homemade jam uses a lot of sugar. How sweet it is...

I like to add a pat of unsalted butter, which seems to reduce the amount of foam that can form, once we bring this to rolling boil.

So, now we're boiling like mad, and I'm stirring and stirring-- and I wouldn't dare leave to answer the phone or check my email.  Just a few minutes later (like about 3 or 4), I turn off the heat.

Prep work is what makes canning go smoothly. I've got a tray, covered with a towel, and my jars have been sanitized and so have my lids. 

 

I set a funnel in a glass jar, and ladle the jam, almost to the top.

Just like the recipe said-- I got five cups of jam.

Other than waiting for the large pot of water to boil, so I can boil the jam-filled jars for a few minutes, the actually jam making process took less than 30 minutes.

I had about 1/4 cup of jam left, which I placed in a small bowl and refrigerated. Within 30 minutes, it was set and nicely firmed.  Once the jars cool, the jam will seem watery. No worries. Once you refrigerate it, it firms up beautifully. 

You'd think that this might be an over-the-top sweet jam.  Ah, but it isn't.  It's sweet, but just right. Success!

TASTING NOTES:  I love pineapple.  That's why I make Apricot-Pineapple jam, every summer.  But this pineapple jam is going to become one of my favorite jam recipes.  Served on a cracker, with cream cheese-- fantastic!  Thanks, Colleen.  I hope that you'll take a leap of faith, and learn to make your own jam. Trust me, you'll never go back to buying it again.  It's fun to make, and they make great gifts that people will appreciate.

A printable recipe is at the bottom of the post.  If you can't view it, click here.