a tiny little pot...

of raspberry jam, made a few days ago, between getting the kids their lunch and putting them down for their naps. my jam-making history is short--since only last summer--and has always been full of big batches. usually 12 pints or more, a day full of stirring and pouring and processing. this tiny little pot was refreshingly simple, and dare i say, completely and totally enjoyable. bonus points for the fact that i was able to use up a a pint of too-soft raspberries (kids wouldn't touch them) instead of throwing the lot into the compost.
part of what made the processing so short was the fact that i didn't have to heat the huge canning pot full of water, which takes nearly an hour on our electric stove. instead, i used a regular-sized pot, and this sweet little vintage, single-sized canning rack. cute, no?

if you've never tried making jam, try your hand with just a couple of pints of berries. with such a small batch, you don't even have to process the jars to seal them--just make sure that you eat it up within a few weeks. your morning toast will thank you!