When you are growing squash... it's feast or famine! When squash grows well, it REALLY grows well. You eat squash every day... you can it, freeze it, fry it, bake it, casserole it, make it into bread, soup, salad... give it to your friends, neighbors, co-workers... leave it in baskets on strangers' doorsteps, ring the bell and run!
So... while browsing the www looking for squash recipes, I happened upon this recipe for squash jam and was immediately intrigued... some creative person apparently with a bumper crop of squash, had put together this recipe and I just had to give it a try.
Here's what I did...
The recipe...
6 cups squash, grated or shredded
5 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
1 package powdered pectin (Sure-Jel)
3 oz. package strawberry Jello
(or any other flavor Jello that strikes your fancy)
(or any other flavor Jello that strikes your fancy)4 teaspoons minced crystallized ginger
I grated my squash.
In a saucepan, I put the grated squash and the 1/4 cup of water, brought it to a boil and simmered until the squash was soft.
Then I added the pectin
and brought the mixture to a hard boil (hard boil is a boil that cannot be stirred down)
and brought the mixture to a hard boil (hard boil is a boil that cannot be stirred down)
I added the 5 cups of sugar, all at once.
Stirred in the can of crushed pineapple.
And added the minced ginger.
I brought the mixture back to a hard boil and boiled for 5 minutes.
I removed the pot from the heat, then added the package of strawberry Jello, stirring it in well.
I ladled the hot mixture into hot half-pint canning jars
, leaving a half inch of headspace.
, leaving a half inch of headspace.
I wiped the jar rims with a damp cloth.
Using my magnetic wand gadget
, I took the hot lids from the simmering water and sealed them onto the jars to fingertip tightness.
, I took the hot lids from the simmering water and sealed them onto the jars to fingertip tightness.
I processed the jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
After processing, I removed the jars of jam from the water bath using my jar lifter
and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.
and set them on a folded dish towel on the counter to cool and to listen for the PING of each successfully sealed jar.The jam is so pretty in the jars with the addition of strawberry Jello giving it a rosy red color. With the texture of the grated squash, this jam is kinda marmalade-ish in texture, and very sweet. I think, next time I may use orange or lemon Jello.
Canning Granny©2011 All Rights Reserved
I made this last night and used orange jello in it. Delicious! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! I do have a question, or two. Any particular variety of squash? And did you peel it first? I would assume you do, but in the picture it kind of looked like the skin was on, I can't see for sure! Thanks for all your great canning advice, I follow you on facebook too! I learned to can deer meat from your site also.
ReplyDeleteI used yellow summer squash and did not peel, there's no need with yellow squash, the peel is quite tender. Thanks for hanging out with me! ~~Granny
Deleteunless the pH is less than 4.6, C. botulinum can grow. a boiling water bath cannot kill the spores, either. if your recipe has not been tested, eating it is like playing russian roulette !!!
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Granny,
ReplyDeleteHave you ever canned plum jelly?
yes ! and Muscadine ,Do you think I could use ground ginger ?
DeleteAbout how many jelly jars does this yield?
ReplyDeleteI get 5 1/2 pints
ReplyDeleteHey Granny, I am interested in making this squash jam but I am a little worried about the squash being a "low acid" vegetable and since there isn't any vinegar in the recipe,what is keeping the jam from going bad? Thanks
ReplyDeleteThough I cannot attest to the pH of the finished product, pineapple has a pH of 3.2 which is the intended aciduant in this recipe. Apple cider vinegar has a Ph of 3.1. So they are similar.
DeleteI want to make this so the flavor is unchanged what else would I do it
ReplyDeleteCan the ginger be left out or does it serve a purpose other than flavor. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThis is a great and a nice idea for using Butternut in different way. Just a question please, which combination of food can i use the jam with apart from toast and like? Thank you
ReplyDelete