Canning Jams and Jellies

Photo source: National Center for Home Food Preservation

New to canning or need a refresher course? Check our general canning information page.

Home-made jams and jellies are a sweet treat we can make for ourselves and others. If you are still using paraffin, read Dangers of Using Paraffin on Jams and Jellies from the National Center for Home Food Preservation before you begin. Unless you make refrigerator or freezer jam, jams and jellies must be processed in a boiling water canner. 

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Canning Jams & Jellies Publications

• Let's Preserve: Jams, Jellies and Preserves
  UNL Extension (full color; 10 pages, 765KB) Procedures for preserving jams, jellies and similar food products; includes recipes and recommended processing times. Questions or comments about this brochure? Contact the author Julie Albrecht PhD, RD

Brief, 2-sided brochures including recipes for jams, jellies and spread from Buy Fresh, Buy Local® Nebraska and UNL Extension. Questions or comments about these two brochures? Contact the author Julie Albrecht PhD, RD
 

• Strawberries includes jams, and freezing recipes
   
• Apple Products including applesauce, preserves, pear-apple and crabapple jellies.
  Apple Butter, Conserve and Chutney
   
• Apricots including jam, canning and freezing
   
• Cherries, Jams and Preserves including recipes for jams, jellies and spread
   
• Plums including jam, jelly and canning

Additional Canning Jams & Jellies Publications from Other Sources

Following are some more canning resources you may find helpful.

National Center for Home Food Preservation (NCHFP)

NCHFP offers individual recipe sheets for a variety of foods plus answers to many common canning questions.

• Jams & Jellies - directions and recipes
  Includes jams, freezer jams, jellies, freezer jams, conserves, preserves, marmalades, and reduced sugar recipes.
  
  
  • Most Frequently Asked Jelly Questions
  • Causes and Possible Solutions for Jellied Fruit Products
  • Remaking Soft Jellies
  • Reduced sugar directions and recipes
    • Jellied Products without Added Sugar (4 page PDF with several recipes)
    • Low Sugar Alternatives to Jams and Jellies
  • Freezer / refrigerator jams
    • Uncooked Jams and Jellies (2 page PDF with several recipes)
    • Refrigerator jelly with Splenda®
    • Uncooked Berry Jam

USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2009 revision

Additional Helpful Materials

• Jams and Jellies from Native [Wild] Fruits
  Includes wild plum jam and jelly (Source: North Dakota State University Extension Service)
   
• Making Jam and Jelly from Frozen Fruit (Source: University of Wisconsin)
   
• Penn State Canning Series: (2008 Update, compatible with USDA 2009 revisions to their home canning recommendations)
  
  • Jelly, Jam, Spreads