Directions:

• Place 6 clean 250 or 236 ml mason jars on a rackin a boiling water canner; cover jars with water, and heat to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.
• Preheating Bernardin® lids is not advised. The sealing compound used for our home canning lids performs better at room temperature than it does pre-heated in simmering water (180°F). Simply wash lids in hot, soapy water, dry, and set aside until needed. Preheating can lead to less vacuum being achieved during water bath canning, and to buckle failures during pressure canning.
• Wash, drain, stem, crush and measure berries individually. (If desired, press raspberries and blackberries through a coarse sieve to remove most of seeds before measuring.) Combine strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and fruit juice in a stainless steel saucepan. Whisk NO SUGAR NEEDED Fruit Pectin into fruit mixture, stirring until pectin is completely dissolved.
• If using sweetener, measure SPLENDA® or sugar and set aside.
• Stirring constantly, bring fruit mixture to a boil over high heat.
• If using, add sweetener (sugar or SPLENDA®) and return mixture to a boil.
• Stirring frequently, boil 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Skim foam.
• Quickly ladle fruit spread into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) of top of jar (headspace). Using nonmetallic utensil, remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if required by adding more spread. Wipe jar rim removing any food residue. Centre hot sealing disc on clean jar rim. Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight. Return filled jar to rack in canner. Repeat for remaining fruit spread.
• When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least 1” water. Cover canner and bring water to a full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. At altitudes up to 1000 ft (305 m), process –boil filled jars – 10 minutes.
• When processing time is complete, remove canner lid; wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting. Cool upright on a protected work surface; leave undisturbed for 24 hours; DO NOT RETIGHTEN screw bands. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed discs curve downward. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. For best quality, use home canned foods within 1 year.

Notes & Tips

NOTE: If using an artificial sweetener other than SPLENDA®, adjust quantity to sweetener you are using and stir sweetener into mixture immediately after completion of boiling, before filling jars.

NOTE: Sugar – Adjust sugar level to desired sweetness, staying within a 1 to 3 cups (250 to 750 ml) range.

To reduce foaming, add 1/4 tsp (1 ml) vegetable oil or butter to fruit mixture before cooking. Sugar-free and low sugar jams do not bubble and boil up as high into the pan as do regular, full sugar preserves. The mixture should, however, bubble constantly while being stirred for the full 3 minutes.