Easy Homemade Jam

Stir together fruit, sugar, and lemon juice in a large nonreactive bowl. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on surface of fruit mixture, and cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand at room temperature for 4 hours, tossing gently to dissolve sugar about every hour, or chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Wash 3 pint jars and lids in hot soapy water, and rinse well. Place a canning rack or heatproof rack in a large pot, and place jars right side up on rack. Cover jars with at least 1 inch of water. Cover pot, and bring to a boil over high; boil, covered, for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep jars in hot water (with pot covered) while preparing jam. Meanwhile, place lids in a small saucepan; cover with water, and bring to a gentle simmer over medium. Simmer for 10 minutes. (Take care not to boil, as high heat can damage the rubber seals.) Remove from heat; keep lids in water until ready to use.

Transfer fruit mixture to a wide, heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot, and stir well. Cook over medium-high, stirring often, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to high; bring fruit mixture to a rapid boil until it begins to foam, 5 to 13 minutes, stirring and scraping bottom of pot occasionally. Skim off and discard foam that forms on top of fruit mixture.

Reduce heat to medium-high; cook fruit mixture, stirring often, until mixture is thickened, color has deepened, and an instant-read thermometer registers 216°F to 220°F, 18 to 25 minutes. (See “Fruit Cooking Times and Temperatures” for specifics based on type of fruit.) If jam begins to boil over or scorch on bottom of pot, immediately reduce heat to medium, and continue cooking. Remove from heat; skim off and discard any remaining foam. For a more spreadable jam, use a potato masher to mash the fruit mixture to desired consistency.

To test if jam has properly gelled, chill a small plate and metal spoon in the freezer for 10 minutes. Scoop about 1 tablespoon jam onto chilled spoon, and rest spoon on plate; chill in freezer for 3 minutes. Remove from freezer, and press your finger against edge of jam to see if the surface wrinkles. Next, drop jam onto chilled plate; run your finger through the jam, and see if it leaves a clear line and doesn’t smear. (The jam should be set enough to stay mounded without running or spreading.) If it’s too runny or doesn’t wrinkle, return jam to a boil over medium, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes before repeating the test.

Carefully remove jars and lids from hot water. Invert jars onto a clean kitchen towel to air-dry, taking care not to touch the inside of the jars. Ladle hot jam evenly into sterilized jars, leaving at least 1/4 inch of space at the top. Slide a clean wooden chopstick or plastic knife around the sides of the jar to remove air bubbles; wipe jar rims clean. Seal jars, and let cool slightly at room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator or freezer.