Old-Fashioned Raspberry Jam

Jam Time again!  First, it was Kumquat Marmalade, then Rhubarb Jam, then Apricot Jam and now Raspberry!  I think my favorite is Rhubarb followed closely by Apricot.

Raspberries are still tart right now, but 4 cups of sugar were plenty - actually, I added even more raspberries to keep it on the tart side.

The recipe recommends warming the sugar beforehand, which I did, but it's a very messy process and probably not worth the trouble.  To determine doneness, I found that the "small plate in the freezer" trick in the Apricot jam recipe works well.

4+ cups of jam

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 liter) granulated sugar
• 4 cups (1 liter) raspberries

Directions

1. Place sugar in an ovenproof shallow pan and warm in a 250°F (120°C) oven for 15 minutes. (Warm sugar dissolves better.)

2. Place berries in a large stainless steel or enamel saucepan. Bring to a full boil over high heat, mashing berries with a potato masher as they heat. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

3. Add warm sugar, return to a boil, and boil until mixture will form a gel (see tips, below), about 5 minutes.

4. Ladle into sterilized jars.