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Saskatoon Jam
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Saskatoon Jam

Saskatoon jam is an easy way to preserve fresh saskatoon berries for year round enjoyment.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Canning Time (Optional)10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Author: Ashley Adamant

Ingredients

  • 4 cups saskatoons washed and picked over
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon 2 tbsp juice, and about 1 tsp fresh zest

Instructions

  • If canning, prepare a water bath canner, jars and lids before you begin. (Optional)
  • Place all ingredients in a deep sided pot and bring the mixture to a hard rolling boil.
  • Cook the jam at a hard boil over medium high heat, stirring contniously to prevent overflows. Mash the fruit occasionally if desired for a less chunky jam, or leave them whole.
  • Boil the jam for about 15 minutes until it reaches gel stage, which is 220 degrees F at sea level. (Or 1 degree less for every 500 feet above sea level. At 1,000 feet in elevation, the jam would finish at 218 F). Alternately, check for set on a plate that's been placed in the freezer.
  • Once the jam reaches it's set point, remove it from the heat and ladle into prepared jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Cap with 2 part lids.
  • If canning, process the jars in a water bath canner for 10 minutes (or 15 minutes above 6,000 feet in elevation). After processing, allow the jars to cool on a towel on the counter for 12-24 hours, then check seals. Store any unsealed jars in the refrigerator for immediate use. Properly canned and sealed jars of saskatoon jam will maintain peak quality on the pantry shelf for 12-18 months. Refrigerate after opening.

Notes

Canning Safety

Saskatoons vary in pH from 4.2 to 4.4, which means they're much less acidic than blueberries.  They're just barely acidic enough for canning, as fruit need to have a pH below 4.6 to be safe for canning.
That said, you never quite know how much variation you'll find in wild fruit, and it's always better to be safe than sorry.  The lemon juice in this recipe helps to lower the pH of the fruit to help preserve the jam, and it also improves flavor and helps with set.  Since the serviceberries are not very acidic on their own, the lemon juice adds tartness which helps balance the sugar. 
The lemon juice is technically optional if not canning, but highly recommended. Do not skip the lemon juice if canning.

Low Sugar Saskatoon Jam

I have made this recipe with less sugar, and it did still set nicely. You can reduce the sugar down as low as 2 cups of sugar to every 4 cups fruit and still get a nice set. With less sugar, the yield will be lower and the set will be slightly less firm.
If you want less sugar than that, I'd suggest using a low sugar pectin such as Pomona's or sure jel low sugar. In that case, follow the recipe in the box for low sugar blueberry jam, but be sure to add lemon juice at a rate of 2 tablespoons for every 4 cups of fruit.