Nothing compares to the wholesome goodness of a jar of homemade huckleberry jam.
The aroma and flavor are out of this world! And the knowledge that you made it fresh yourself is very satisfying.
Jump to Recipe
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Summers are warm and sunny in Montana, but the growingseason is short.
Everything grows like crazy in a short period of time trying to finish itslife cycle before the snow flies in the fall.
With that said, my family and I take advantage of all of the summertime abundance. We pick wild huckleberries on Big Mountain, sweet cherries along the shore of Flathead Lake, and crisp apples from the tree in our backyard.
As you can imagine, my kitchen teems with fruit!
By mid-August, it’s time to make preserves.
Harvest time is busy!
It seems like the picking, cleaning, peeling, and pitting will never end!
Admittedly, I must prepare myself mentally for the task of home canning.
Please don’t misunderstand me.
I am very grateful for the abundance of fresh fruit.
However, preserving all of nature’s goodness means two weeks of non-stop canning!
For this reason, the work seems endless.
Although in the end, there’s a sense of accomplishment.
The results make it well worth the effort.
In short, my family and I really do enjoy the fruits of our labor – so to speak.
Three Family Favorites
No. 1 – CherryJam
I know I’m partial, but there’s nothing on this planet that compares to the sweet Lambert cherries grown in the Flathead Valley where we live.
In my opinion, if you are a cherry lover, Lamberts make the absolute sweetest jam.
Adollop of cherry jam on a serving of vanilla ice cream will set your taste buds todancing!
Read about our messy experience with canning cherries. Plus grab our recipe for Freezer Cherry Almond Ice Cream!
No. 2 – Homemade Applesauce
I buy applesauce all of the time, but I think Homemade applesauce is far superior to the store-bought kind.
Furthermore, it’s the perfect topping on a stack of pancakes. Plus, it brings back memories for me.
Let me explain.
When I eat my pancakes with fresh applesauce, I think of my Granny because she always served her German pancakes with a side of applesauce.
That was the only way I ate pancakes growing up.
It’s funny to think about it now, but I didn’t know what pancake syrup was until I was well into my teens.
Read about our abundant apple harvest. Plus, grab our recipe for German Apple Cake!
No. 3 – HuckleberryJam
All of the above preserves are delicious, but myhuckleberry jam wins hands down intexture and out-of-this-world flavor!
It is by far, the family favorite!
There’s nothing like popping off the lid of a jar of huckleberry jam and taking a whiff of its natural goodness.
It’s so good, it turns breakfast time and a piece of toast into a party of the taste buds!
And when it’s taken out of the pantry in January, it’s one of the bright spots in winter for all of the hard work put in at harvest time.
You are going to love this recipe! Guaranteed!
Ifyou don’t have huckleberries in your area, blueberries will work just fine.
But in my humble opinion, huckleberry jam is far superior. Blueberries just aren’t the same.
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Marlene’s Huckleberry Jam
Ingredients:
- (1) 1.75 oz. package Ball Original Fruit Pectin
- 4 cups crushed huckleberries (2 1/2 lbs or 6, 6 oz. containers)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 cups sugar
Instructions:
1. Prepare boiling water canner, jars, and lids according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Combine prepared fruit (rinse in cool water and remove any leaves, stems, etc.) with lemon juice in a 6 or 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in Ball Original Fruit Pectin. Add up to 1/2 teaspoon butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
3. Add the entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
4. Follow “Fresh Preserving Instructions” for water-bath canning.
–Recipe Source: Ball Original Fruit Pectin Package Insert
Enjoy!
Other Articles You May Enjoy:
- Home Canning
- Flathead Cherry History
- Huckleberry Days with E
- Pick of the Crop
Do you have any canning tales!Simple success or dreadeddisaster? Leave mea comment, I’d love to hear about it!
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I’m presuming you’re here because you want to process your own jam. However, if you don’t have the time right now, you can still have a taste of the Montana wilderness in a jar of store-bought jam from Amazon.
The links take you to my Amazon Affiliate Program. If you purchase through these links, you’ll not pay a penny more. You’ll get Amazon’s great prices and service. And we will get a small commission for which we are grateful.
Buy Montana Made Wild Huckleberry Jam Now!
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