Pineapple Galangal (kinda like ginger) and Vanilla Jam

2 whole pineapples peeled cored and cut into chunks
4 cups sugar
Juice and zest from 1 large lemon
1 vanilla bean
1 inch chunk of galangal or ginger root
pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons low sugar pectin

In a large non-reactive (glass, ceramic or stainless steel) bow mix together the pineapple chunks and 1/2 cup of sugar. Mix together and allow to sit at room temperature several hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
(Alternatively you can mix all 4 cups of the sugar in and allow to macerate in the fridge for up to five days.)
In a blender or food processor puree half of the pineapple with the vanilla bean and the galangal until the vanilla pod is thoroughly broken down. Pour into a wide shallow pan. Repeat the puree process with the other half of the pineapple. You can leave this half slightly chunky if you like. Pour into a wide shallow pan. Add the remaining 3 1/2 cups of sugar (Unless you did the fridge with all the sugar for a few days thing.) the juice and zest from a large lemon and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high high heat.
Continue boiling for 8-12 minutes until mixture is thickened and pineapple is tender. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.*
Combine the half cup of sugar with the 3 tablespoons of low sugar pectin. It is important to use low sugar pectin in this recipe. There is not enough sugar in the recipe for regular pectin to work. Stir into the boiling pineapple mix and allow to cook 1-2 minutes more.
Remove from heat and place in containers of your choice.
I really do prefer the plastic ones to canning jars because I give away most of my jam. But this recipe is just fine for hot water canning or flip over canning.

*So I've skimmed off the foam should I just throw it away?
You can just toss it...However you can also:

Mix it with 2 cups of whipped cream or a can of coconut milk and freeze it for Fruity Ice Cream.

Same as above but in popsicle molds.

Mix it into a complimentary juice maybe add a dash of adult beverage for a refreshing mocktail or cocktail.

Use it as a topping for sundaes or waffles or pancakes.

Mix a 1/4 cup of it (or to taste) with ice and 12 ounces of seltzer water for the best fruit soda you'll ever have.

  

Strawberry Vanilla and Lemon Jam (with or without Rose)

4 lbs of strawberries, trimmed, hulled and cut in half. This will be about 3 1/4 pounds after prep.
2 large lemons, zested and juiced
1 vanilla bean split and seeds scraped out
3 cups sugar
****************
pinch salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons low sugar pectin*
1 tsp rose water, optional

 For best results plan ahead 3-5 days. Can be made the day of but the jam will be significantly more flavorful and have a better texture if you can macerate the berries for a few days.

 Mix the first four ingredients in a large nonreactive bowl (stainless steel, glass or ceramic) stirring to combine well. Let macerate covered at room temperature for several hours or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

 Mix together the half cup of sugar and three tablespoons of low sugar pectin. It is important to use the low sugar type in this recipe. It will not set otherwise.
 
 Option 1) Berries suspended in Strawberry Jelly: Place the macerated berries minus the vanilla pod in a large shallow pan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat then cook on high for 8-10 minutes until berries are softened and the juices have thickened. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.

 Option 2) Jammier Jam: Place half of the berries and the vanilla pod in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour into a large shallow pan with a pinch of salt. Use the juices from the strawberries to help "rinse" the blender out and into the pan. Add the remaining berries and juice. Bring to a boil over high heat then cook on high for 4-6 minutes until berries are softened and the juices have thickened. Skim off any foam that rises to the top.

 For either option: Stir in the pectin/sugar mix and continue to boil for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Rose Water if you are using it. Can or container as you see fit.

  I like plastic containers. One because I can give them away and not regret the loss of a canning jar. Two because I can literally be done with a batch of jam (after prep/maceration time) in less than half an hour. If you use plastic containers and you want to store them they must be refrigerated for up to three months or frozen if you want to keep them longer.

Hot jamn!

Jalalujah! Jalapeno Jam WIP

1 large red bell pepper seeded and diced fine
12 large green jalapenos* tops removed and cut in half
1 small onion finely diced
2 large clove of garlic minced
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 cups of sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons low sugar pectin

*You can either seed and demembrane all, some or none of the jalapenos. I advise taking a thin slice from the top of the pepper to get a rough idea of heat. Mine were pretty spicy so I deseeded half of them. You can also reserve the seeds and once everything is combined and cooked together for a bit if you feel it isn't as spicy as you want you can chop it fine and toss some in.

 Place 8 of the jalapenos and 1 cup of the vinegar in a blender or food processor and puree. Set aside for a minute or two. Do not open the top as the jalapeno pepper and vinegar fumes can really do a number on your eyes and lungs.

 Cut the remaining 4 jalapenos into fine dice.

 In a large shallow pot combine the red pepper, diced jalapeno. onion, garlic, salt, pepper and butter. Carefully pour the jalapeno pepper and vinegar mixture into the pan. Use the remaining half cup of vinegar to swish out any remaining jalapeno pulp from the blender and pour into the pan. Add three cups of sugar and stir to combine.

 Bring to a boil over high heat skimming off and discarding any foam that comes to the top. Once the mixture reaches the boil set a timer and boil (watching carefully) for 10 minutes. (This is the stage you could add more of the reserved jalapeno seeds if you felt it needed more heat.)

 In the meantime mix together the 2 tablespoons of sugar and the 3 tablespoon of low sugar pectin together in a small dish and set aside. It is important to use Low Sugar Pectin otherwise the jam will not fully set.)
Once the mixture has boiled for 10 minutes stir in the 1/4 cup of vinegar and the sugar/pectin mixture. Boil for 1-2 minutes more.

 At this point you can use your favorite canning method to preserve it. Or like me you can let it cool just slightly and divide it into small plastic containers. That way you can give it away and not feel wistful at the loss of of your semi expensive canning jars. As we all know almost no one ever returns those things no matter how much you promise to refill them with more home made jam.

 This will be better as the flavors meld so if you can wait a day or two good on you. If you can't, well I understand.