Salted Vanilla Cantaloupe Jam Recipe
Even into the depth of our 2016 summer drought, we were able to harvest many cantaloupe melons. We collected about twelve melons in all, which was not too bad. It could have been better, but it could have been worse if we didn’t have our IBC tote rainwater catchment system. It saved our garden this year and many other years.
For some of our melons, I made and canned a different, salty, and sweet melon jam. I found this recipe on Ball’s website awhile back, and I have been waiting all spring and summer for my melons to ripen, and I am so pleased I waited.
Ball calls the recipe, Melon Jam, and I was a bit confused by it. I decided to rename the jam on my post, Salted Vanilla Cantaloupe Jam, to give a much more detailed description of this recipe. The jam has a distinct salty taste that doesn’t get described with the name Melon Jam. I also added the vanilla extract because I wanted more of a sweet taste to go with the salt. The vanilla extract is optional. It
Cost to make this recipe.
By purchasing all the ingredients, the canning recipe costs around $6.67 for about five half-pints or $1.11 per half-pint. As I stated above, I only make this recipe when we have cantaloupe harvested from the garden and thus reducing the cost of this jam tremendously. My homesteader cost is closer to $2.92 or $0.58 per half-pint.
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This canning recipe was taken from Ball’s Fresh Preserving recipe website. All images and text are all my own and original to One Acre Vintage Homestead – Pumpkin Patch Mountain Homestead.
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Salted Vanilla Cantaloupe Jam for Water Bath Canning
Cooking Methods
- Water Bath Canner
- Mason Jars, Lids, and Rings
Ingredients
- 14 cups cantaloupe melon, about 2 large melons…[$3.50]
- 1/4 cup salt, …[$0.84]
- 4 cups white granulated sugar, …[$1.16]
- 3/4 cup lemon juice, …[$0.47]
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract, …[$0.70]
Instructions
- Cut up cantaloupe and toss with salt in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for 2 hours.
- Rinse salt off melon with water.
- In a large stainless steel pot, combine melon, sugar, and lemon juice.
- Heat over medium to bring to a boil uncovered until melon is soft and then mash melon or puree with immersion blender.
- Simmer jam uncovered for about an hour until gelling point is reached and skim foam.
- Prepare water bath canning equipment including mason jars, lids and rings.
- Add vanilla extract to hot jam and mix.
- Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace, remove air bubbles, wipe rims, and attach lids and rings finger tight.
- Process in water bath canner for 10 minutes.
I wanted so bad to love this. Pro it smells great cooking. Maybe like half the salt? Idk, I’m sorry. Ideas for recovery?