A recipe inspired by the book "Bread and Jam for Frances," by Russell Hoban. Jam is such kid-perfect stuff, as Frances knows, but it's never been kid-friendly to make. Standard recipes involve way too much boring boiling time. Not freezer jam, though! The boiling is minimal and the crushing (the fun part) is maximal. In fact, wielding the potato masher is my sons' favorite step of this recipe -- if you don't count gobbling up the delicious results!

Ingredients

• 6 half-pint cartons (total) fresh blackberries and raspberries
• 5 cups sugar

• 1 cup water
• 1 package (1.75 ounces) fruit pectin (such as Sure-Jell)

Instructions

1. Rinse and drain the berries, then place them, 2 cartons at a time, in a medium bowl and crush them with a potato masher. Transfer the crushed berries to a large bowl and repeat until you have 3 cups of crushed berries.

2. Pour the sugar over the berries and stir to mix. Let the mixture rest for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small saucepan, mix 1 cup of water and the pectin and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 1 minute (a parent's job). Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture over the berries. Stir well to combine.

4. Divide the mixture among 5 freezer-safe containers. Cover the containers and let the jam set at room temperature for 24 hours, then refrigerate or freeze. Makes about 7 cups.

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• Blackberries |
• Fruit Pectin |
• Raspberries