Making preserves from fresh berries is a technique that is centuries old, but one that is a dying art. Often equated with something a grandmother might do, this art of preserving fresh produce still yields delicious results if done correctly. Preserving fresh berries is an excellent way to keep the fresh flavors of the spring and summer in your pantry year round.
Instructions
1. Prepare the berries and the ingredients. When picking the berries you use for your preserving, always buy the freshest and most local berries you can find. These will have the most intense flavor and will make the freshest tasting preserves. In this case, we will use raspberries as an example of what you can do to virtually any fresh berry. You can substitute whichever berry you can find that is the freshest. Wash your raspberries thoroughly, and pat them dry. Place them in the saucepan with the sugar and mix together with a wooden spoon. Let the berries macerate for 15 minutes.
2. Cook the berries. Put the saucepan on the stove over medium high heat. Let the mixture come to a simmer, stirring constantly. Let the mixture come to a boil, and cook at this heat, continuing to stir, for 5 to 10 minutes. When the mixture begins to solidify a bit and starts to gel, turn the heat off and remove the pot from the stove. Let the mixture cool a bit while you prepare your jars.
3. Sterilize the jars. In order for the preserves to last indefinitely (or for at least a year), the jars you store them in must be sterile. Fill the stockpot two thirds of the way up with water. Place the plate in the bottom of the pot upside down. Submerge the jars in the water and set them on top of the upside down plate. Put the lids in the pot as well. Wash the metal pan you are using with antibacterial soap. Put the pot on the stove over high heat. Let the water come to a rolling boil, and let the jars and lids sit in the boiling water for 10 minutes. After this time, remove the jars from the water with the impeccably clean tongs and place them in the metal pan. Remove the lids, and place in the pan as well. Keep the water in the stockpot boiling.
4. Fill the jars. With a large spoon, pour the berries into each of the jars, leaving a small space at the top of each. Using your gloved hands, screw on each of the two piece lids as tightly as you can.
5. Process the jars. Using your tongs, lower the jars back into the boiling water of the stock pot and let the jars of preserved berries sit in there for another 10 minutes. After this time, they may be removed and handle with your bare hands.
6. Store your preserves correctly. Your preserves are now ready to be stored away and consumed whenever you choose. Ideally, they can last for an indefinite period of time, though many will eat their preserves within the year of canning. Keep your preserves in a cool, dark place, like a cellar or low-lying cupboard. While it is difficult to break the seal of a properly processed jar of preserves, severe changes in temperature have been known to affect the shelf life of some jarred and preserved berries.
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