Salted Cantaloupe Jam
I take a lot of pride in where I live. I know a lot of folks consider Indiana a "fly over state" and that might be a negative to the vast majority of citizens in this country, but I'll let you in on a little bit of a secret-us Midwesterners enjoy the fact that we're off the radar.
I love that I have neighbors who never will bother me unless I need them to, and then they'd give me the shirts off their backs. I love that I can drive for hours and hours and see little more than farmhouses and cornfields. I love that I can keep my car unlocked (and running) while I pop into the post office. And I love that I can drive up to any one of two dozen farm stands within a five mile radius in August and buy farm fresh cantaloupe by dropping a few quarters in an old coffee can.
Southern Indiana isn't really well-known for a lot of stuff (other than being Louisville's hat), but one thing we do excel at is making some seriously mean cantaloupes. In particular, Jackson County, Indiana-which is just north of where we live-is pretty well-known in the region as having the best cantaloupes in all of the Midwest. Folks drive hundreds of miles to visit this rural Indiana county just to grab a cantaloupe or two! I'm not sure what it is about this area that produces the sweetest, juiciest, biggest cantaloupes you'll ever see, but I'm not complaining.
We only planted a handful of cantaloupe plants this year, but we have no less than 473,000 melons on the vines right now (not only are cantaloupes grown in this area incredibly delicious, but they're also incredibly prolific). And as much as I love eating cantaloupe morning, noon, and night, the truth is, we're a little bit overwhelmed with our haul. Melons are one of those summer items that can be really difficult to preserve for winter eating, but I figured it might be worth a shot to try turning some of our bounty into some cantaloupe jam to enjoy during those cold January nights. And, man, was that ever a good idea.
The idea for salting the preserves came from the fact that summer dinners for me growing up meant a giant bowl of cantaloupe on the kitchen table for dessert. And next to that bowl was always the salt shaker. Just like all sweet foods, a little bit of salt sprinkled on some fresh cantaloupe slices really sets it off. I figured those flavors would be really interesting combined into a jam.
Because of the welcoming of our little girl, I haven't had the chance to do as much canning this summer as I normally like to, but I was so happy I carved out an afternoon to make this cantaloupe jam. Not only is it delicious, but there is something about canning that makes me feel incredibly connected to my roots. My parents canned food. My grandparents canned food. My great-great-grandparents canned food. My soul tells me I should be canning on a weekend afternoon in August. It's hard to explain, but there is something about ladling bubbly jam into steaming hot jars that makes me feel a little more connected to my past. To me, canning is so much more than just stocking away some food (although, that's a nice perk, too).
Now, go make some cantaloupe jam! Enjoy.
📖 Recipe
Salted Cantaloupe Jam
Ingredients
- 6 cups diced very ripe cantaloupe
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 4 cups granulated sugar divided
- 5 tablespoons powdered pectin
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Fill a waterbath canner with water, and place inside eight half-pint jars (make sure the water covers the jars). Bring to a boil. Place lids and rings in a small saucepan with hot water and heat, but do not boil.
- Bring cantaloupe, lemon juice, and 3 ½ cups of sugar to a boil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a full, rolling boil that cannot be stirred down (it should take 10-15 minutes).
- Once the mixture is at a full boil, whisk together the remaining sugar and the pectin. Whisk the mixture into the cantaloupe mixture.
- Bring mixture back to a full boil, and then boil hard for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture looks thickened and is set. I like to test it by putting a small amount on a spoon and placing it in the freezer for a few minutes. If it's jelly-like when it's cold, it's set! If not, boil for a few more minutes.
- Once set, remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Remove the hot jars from the waterbath canner, and turn the canner back up onto high.
- Ladle the jam into the hot jars, leaving a ½" headspace. Using a clean, damp cloth, wipe any extra jam from the rim of the jars, and then place on the lids and the rings—tightening just until snug, not overly tight.
- Place the jars in a rack in the waterbath canner, bring to a boil, and process for 10 minutes. Remove from canner, and let cool completely. Check seals after 24 hours—the lids shouldn't flex or move when pushed down on. Store sealed jars in a cool dark place for up to a year. Any jars that don't seal, place in the fridge and eat within a month.
Notes
Nutrition
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The Salted Cantaloupe Jam has too much vanilla. I may try it again with 1/2 teaspoon.
This recipe is absolutely spectacular. I've already shared the recipe with many! Wonderful.
After making this I was informed on my jelly group that there is not enough lemon juice to bring up the acidity of the cantaloupe and therefore not safe to eat.
I am SO bummed!
What brand of pectin did you use for this recipe? Is there a way to use an alternative sweetener such as honey?
I used Ball® Canning pectin. You can use low or no sugar pectin for this, and just make sure to follow the sugar suggestions on the recipe on the box or bottle.
I have canned a lot but this is my first attempt at jelly. I always have more cantaloupe than I can eat or give away so thought I’d try making this jelly. I haven’t had it cold but sampled some of the leftover that wasn’t enough for a jar, OMG, this is fantastic. Good Lort y’all !!!
Oh my goodness, we must be near neighbors! We also live in Southern Indiana! Outside Madison, in a small town, Manville. Glad to find you! Good thoughts 😊
Has this recipe been tested for acidity level? I’m reading conflicting reports about the safety of water bath canning cantaloupe, but I LOVE your recipe!
It has not. I felt safe with the amount of lemon juice added, but if you're looking for a testing cantaloupe canning recipes, Ball® Canning has a Melon Jam.
Thanks! I am experimenting with increasing the acidity level to something approaching that Ball recipe, even though I know the sugar also helps! So far, adding a teaspoon of citric acid and an additional teaspoon of vanilla (helps tone down the tartness) seems to make the least difference in taste. We LOVE your recipe! I grew 12 cantaloupe plants this year just so we wouldn’t run out of jam. ;). I’ve made 3 batches so far and have another 2 in the works.
Is this shelf life stable?
Yes, if you follow the instructions for water bath canning!
I made this jam last year and it is by far my most favorite jam.Thank you! My husband still loves raspberry jam the best, but that is okay with me. It means the cantaloupe is all mine. However, I have almost entirely cut out all sugar from my diet. Do you know if I can safely make this with stevia or grape juice? Even if I still used half the sugar and half alternative sugar source?
Hi Stephanie: I'm not sure on the safety of making this with lower or less sugar. I do know that in this cookbook (one of my faves): https://amzn.to/30p8wj2 Melissa has a Cantaloupe jam recipe that uses agave. I know it's not the same as reducing the sugar entirely, but it might at least be a starting off point.
I have canned successfully my whole life. I make at least 400 jars of jams & jellies per year. This was the biggest waste of time & good cantaloupe that I've ever seen. It would not set up (a problem I've never had). I'm back to making raspberry jam, strawberry jam, peach jam, jalapeno pepper jelly, apple butter, etc. All have wonderful flavor & set up every time!
I was a little skeptical about Salted Cantaloupe Jam, but salted caramel is pretty good, so I thought I would give it a try. Boy, am I glad I did, because this jam is SO GOOD!!!! I don’t even particularly care for cantaloupe, but I planted it on a whim and it took off, necessitating finding some way to preserve it. Freezing wasn’t an option (the freezer is currently full of home grown chickens), so canning won the day.
So glad you enjoyed it!
Just finished a batch of salted cantaloupe jam, your recipe is fabulous, delicious, delightful. This will be a family favorite. We have so many cantaloupes coming out of our garden...ugh. ..this is a great way to use some! Can't wait to spoon some over vanilla ice cream! Thank you so much!!!
on average how many whole cantaloupe do you think you used? I'm sure someone asked but couldn't find it in the comments.
One 3-pound cantaloupe should give you about the 6 cups you need!
very interesting in aussie australia we call this preserving using a vacuol system i am going to try this it was a fluke i evan looked for cantaloupe most aussies call it rockmelon
OMG!!! I just made this and it is hands down the single best testing jam I have ever made. Thanks for sharing this recipe with the world.
So glad you like it!
Could you use honeydew instead of the cantaloupe ?
Yes! Delicious awesomeness! Been making Cantaloupe Preserves for years out of cantaloupes that did not taste so great. Use equal parts sugar & cantaloupes and no vanilla or salt. Very excited about this Cantaloupe Jam recipe...the vanilla & Salt probably takes it up a notch!
I don't know how my mom came up with her recipe. She made cantaloupe preserves 60 years ago No one had ever heard of it or guessed what they were made of. She was way ahead of her time. Miss her every day.
wow, can't wait to try it. I have made bread with cantaloupe but never heard of jam, it will be fun to give it a try this summer.
That sounds like an interesting thing to try. Next summer, I'm not driving to your neighborhood, but I'll try it with some local cantaloupes. I also don't use sugar/pectin. I use a different pectin that jells with calcium, so it isn't full of sugar. It's worked with everything I've tried so far, so I expect it will be fine.
What about the acidity levels? Are the two tablespoons of lemon juice enough to prevent botulism after the jam is canned? I just canned this recipe, so I'm a little nervous.