If you remember a little while ago I did a post about saving on your food budget with free fruits and veggies that you can get from a number of locations. Now I have to say that Mulberries are great used in many different ways. We love them on Ice cream, jelly, by them self or other ways.
Well I was out cutting the grass the other day and I looked up at my neighbors Mulberry tree and was happy to see that they are nice, big, juicy and ripe! YUM! Which means that all of my Mulberry trees that I harvest should be ready very shortly and it will be that time again. What time you ask? Time to start up my Jelly making for winter! YAY! I hope your family will enjoy this as much as ours does.
I have several sources that have Mulberry trees in their yard but they give away the fruit. So I go with my daughter's and we harvest the fruit by using large painting tarps and a very long stick to hit the branches to make the fruit fall onto the tarps. I usually get 2 5 gallon pales of berries per harvest time, I usually harvest the trees about 3 times. The people who own the trees call me to let me know when they are ready to be harvested. They call me because I share with them some of the jars of the already made Jam for allowing me to harvest the berries so that its a win/win situation for everyone. (Then I get my jars back from them when its gone.) So that I can reuse them next year when I harvest again.
Then when I get the mulberries home I pick out the bad berries, I wash the good ones, and then I stick them into my blender. I hit the blend button for a few seconds and then pour the juice into GLASS containers (Stains plastic horrible) Now if its been a long day I will put the juice into the fridge to wait till the next day. If its been one of those slow days, I start my Jelly right away and get the batches made. ( You can make Jam as well with this) Now if you love the actual fruit in your product then just keep some out of the blender to be mixed in later after its made.
Now be sure to have all your ingredients that you will need handy as you will not want to have to stop the process to make a run to the store. You can get Canning Jars for free on freecycle just pick your State and city or one close to you and you can find all kinds of great items for free!
Now, making Jam or Jelly my way is easy to do and it tastes GREAT! You can use any types of fruits that you would like, the sky is the limit! Now I wouldn't go to buck wild on some of the flavor mixing if its your first time making it. Get use to the recipe and how to make it and then let your imagination guide you. I don't want you to get frustrated on your first try and that's why I advise this.
I'm going to share with you my easy freezer jam recipe as this is the one that I make most often and the whole family loves. Its not time consuming, and you can make several jars at one time. Now, I get my Sure Jel at Scratch and Dent stores which I have listed all of them when you click on the Sure Jel for all the different states (some may be not listed those are the ones that were found) and I get it for $.25 - $.75 a box there. I try to make my Jelly or Jam as frugal as possible! So that it will be worth making and saving over the store costs. ( Even in the scratch and dent stores Mulberry Jam or Jelly is sold for $2-$4 a jar!)
So now that you have how to get the things you need to make the Jelly or Jam frugal. I will now move onto the recipe for you to use. Its very easy and has very few ingredients. (You can use wax to seal your jam or Jelly but I do not) Also you can make a more reduced sugar Jelly or Jam as well if you are diabetic. (using sweet & Low or one of the other brands but use the amount on the box that is equal to the sugar in the recipe) This recipe will last a year in your freezer or 3 weeks in your fridge when opened.
How to Make Mulberry Jam With or Without Sugar
Things You'll Need:
* 5-1/4 cups of mulberry berries
* 1 lemon
* 3-1/4 cup sugar (if choosing the sugar version)
* Mason jars
* Pot or Bread Machine with Jam feature ( I have NOT tried the bread machine version )
* Wooden Spoon
* Pot holders
* Towel
Step 1
Collect your mulberries by spreading a tarp or blanket and shaking the branches, or just hand pick them. Soak and wash three times.
Step 2
Next, for the non-sugar version, place 5-1/4 cups of berries in a bowl and use a potato masher to mash the berries.
Step 3
For the sugar version, place 2 cups of berries in a bowl and mash the berries. Add 3-1/4 cup of sugar and mix.
Step 4
Mulberries on a tree
Mulberries on a tree
Next -- with either the sugar or non-sugar version -- add 2 tablespoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Mix.
Step 5
If you have a bread machine with a jam cycle, just place the mixture in the machine and set according to its instructions.
Step 6
If you do not have a bread machine, take a medium or large saucepan and pour either mixture into the pot.
Step 7
Turn on to medium heat, stirring the mixture constantly. If using sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Step 8
Lower the heat to a simmer and leave uncovered, so that the extra water content can evaporate as the mulberries cook. Stir occasionally and let simmer until the mixture become thicker, like a syrupy consistency.
Step 9
When either the pot or the bread machine is done cooking your mulberry jam, pour the jam, while it is still hot, into the jars. Cap the jars. The suction caused by the heat of the jam will vacuum seal your jar.
Step 10
Leave the jars on the counter to cool overnight.
This will make about 8 half pints or Jelly Jars
* Wash your pot, spoon or bread machine bin immediately so that the jam doesn't dry hard and it comes difficult to clean.
* Keep out of reach of children
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