Still working on my list of 12 DIY Projects to Try in 2011. Here’s the tally so far:

• January – Sew a Blind Hem
• February – Homemade Chai Tea
• March – Homemade Hamburger Buns
• April – Plant a garden for food
• May – Freezer Jam
• And for June… Canning Jam

My original list said I was going to make Plum Jam, which is still on the list (since it’s Wolf’s favorite)… BUT I decided to do Blueberry Jam for this first batch, for a couple of reasons.

First, it seemed like it would make a better comparison (“apples to apples”) with the Blueberry Freezer Jam from last month.

And second, I came across some lovely, locally grown, organic blueberries at the local Farmers’ Market. So far, I haven’t seen any plums in meaningful quantifies.

So, we began…

First, smash up the lovely berries, and cook them up with the sugar and pectin.

I was originally a little concerned about this step, since I’ve read and watched a number of things referring to ways to test the jam and see if it is done. But with the Ball Pectin, they offered reassurance that you only had to follow the recipe – including cooking times – and all would be well.

Then, once it’s jam, just ladle it into jars and let it boil in the water bath for a few minutes.

After resting for 24 hours, all the lids were sealed. Victory!

Freezer jam definitely has a “fresher” taste to it – more like eating freshly-picked blueberries on your toast. Which has its advantages.

Cooked, canned jam, on the other hand, is really a “true jam” – more sweet, more syrupy – not that it’s thin like syrup, but the texture is definitely different. This, too, has its place.

The verdict?

It’s not apples to apples, after all. I like them both, differently.

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