Peach Jam

I am an HBV certified under Serve Safe.

Jams, jellies and dessert toppings are all very similar in how they are made. The biggest difference is in consistency and clarity.

Dessert topping is made without pectin and with a small bit of water if need be so it has a runnier consistency for easy drizzling on your favorite dessert or breakfast item. It's fantastic for ice cream, cheesecake, pancakes and waffles.

Jam can be made with or without pectin, but generally contains no water and can have pieces of berry or fruit in it. These pieces add some texture/consistency, but also prevent it from being crystal clear. Pectin is not required to gel all jams because many fruits and berries have naturally occurring pectin in them that is activated during the processing.

Jelly is very similar to jam except that it generally has pectin and is filtered so it's transparent. The ideal jelly should be be like looking through clear stained glass when held up to bright light. A beautiful color but no chunks or cloudiness.

All three options can be canned using a pressure canner, or by water canning. Pressure canning uses pressure and heat to seal and sanitize the the jars, contents, and lids which keep out harmful bacteria and make canned foods shelf-stable, and safe for later consumption. It is typically suggested that canned foods have a 1-2 year life expectancy, but if canned properly, canned food can last much longer as long as proper safety measures are taken. Checking seals on a regular basis is very important, especially before eating. Checking the food inside for any odor, discoloration, cloudiness or mold is also extremely important. Never eat any canned item that exhibits any of these warning signs.

The second way of canning food is water canning. This method also sterilizes the jars, contents and lids, but in a slightly different way. To do this, the jars and the contents are boiled separately. When the jars are done boiling, they are removed from the water and filled. Wafers (lids) are sat on top and then rings are screwed on firmly. The jars are them placed in a large pot of boiling water and boiled again. After the time is up, the pot is removed from heat and the jars rest in the water. After resting, the jars are removed and placed on a towel to cool for 4-5 hours. After cooling, the seals are checked and any unsealed jars are set aside while the rest are labeled for sale.

Pressure canning is required to make low acid and acidified foods safe and shelf stable. It can be used for most, if not all canning however. Water canning is only safe to use on high acid, full sugar foods. Many fruits and berries are considered high acid foods so when a large amount of sugar is added to these, they become high acid, full sugar foods such as jams, jellies and dessert toppings. Sugar is a natural preservative because bacteria can't survive in a high enough sugar environment, especially when paired with high acid content.