Preserving/Canning - Carrot Cake Jam

We used to really love canning, but stopped for a few years.  Now we are trying to get back into it to help increase our food storage.  We will keep canning to preserve whatever we grow and don't eat or when we find a great deal on crates of apples, pears, peaches, etc.  To keep it interesting, we are going to preserve recipes rather than just left overs like sauces, jellies and jams.  After we have some food to preserve, we'll try some recipes to see how we like it and preserve the winners.

Here is a recipe we made today that we really liked.  We went ahead and preserved a couple batches using water bath canning.  We found the recipe on the internet.  

Carrot Cake Jam

Ingredients 

1 can {20 ounces} unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
1-1/2 cups shredded carrots
1-1/2 cups chopped peeled ripe pears
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 package {1-3/4 ounces} powdered fruit pectin
6-1/2 cups sugar

Directions

Bring a boiling-water canner, 3/4 full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

In a 6 – 8 quart sauce pot, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until the pears are tender. Stir occasionally so nothing sticks to the pan.  Remove from the sauce pan from the heat, and stir in pectin.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the sugar and return to a full rolling for 1 minute, making sure to stir constantly to avoid boiling over. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. {Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.} Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary}. Yields {7} 1/2 pints.