All you need to make great jam is fruit and sugar! There is usually enough pectin in the fruit itself that you don't need to add a jelling agent the way you do when you are making jelly from fruit juice. If you've been looking for an easy to follow jam recipe, read on to learn how to make jam.

Jams are made with crushed or chopped fruit and sugar. Unlike jellies, which require pectin to thicken, jams use the natural pectin of the fruit to gel. You can make jam out of almost any fruit or combination of fruits. Experiment with different fruits to develop your own house specialty jam.

• 4 cups of crushed or chopped fruit
• 3 cups of sugar

1. Wash the fruit carefully.
2. Peel and remove any cores, pits, seeds and stems.
3. Cut fruit into small pieces, with the exception of berries which can be crushed with a spoon while cooking.
4. Measure 4 cups of fruit after it is prepared, and place in the pan.
5. Cook until tender, adding a tablespoon or two of water if needed to keep the fruit from sticking to the pan.
6. Add the sugar to the fruit and bring to a boil.
7. Boil until thickened to the desired consistency, stirring constantly. To check if the jam has gelled, remove the pot from the heat, and place a few drops of the jam on a plate. Place the plate with the jam in the freezer to chill quickly. Check it when cool to see if it's gelled. If not, return the pan to the heat and continue to boil a bit longer, and repeat the test.

Jam can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or frozen for longer storage. If you'd like to store the jam at room temperature, it can be processed using a hot water bath.