CHEF JEFF — ONE BYTE AT A TIME: No-Cook Summer Fruit Jam

There’s nothing like homemade jellies and jams. But they can be a lot of work. However, the no-cook versions such as the following take away the guesswork and hours of cooking.

No-Cook Summer Fruit Jam

2 quarts ripe strawberries, blueberries or other berries or 3 pounds peaches or other summer fruit

¼ cup lemon juice

1 2-ounce package powdered fruit pectin

1 cup light corn syrup

4½ cups sugar

Process food in a blender or food processor until finely chopped. It should measure about 3¼ cups. In a very large bowl, mix the fruit with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the pectin on top, then stir vigorously. Let mixture stand 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in corn syrup, then sugar, stirring until it dissolves.

Ladle jam into ½-pint freezer jars or plastic containers, leaving ½-inch headspace at top to allow for expansion. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year.

Yield: 4½ pints.

Approximate nutritional analysis per tablespoon: 68 calories (0.7 percent from fat), 0.1 grams fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 0.1 grams protein, 17.6 grams carbohydrates, 0.3 grams fiber, 1.8 milligrams sodium.

Grab more food tidbits at the Chef Jeff blog at GrandForksHerald.com.

Tags: chef jeff, one byte at a time, fruit jam, features, food, jam