Summer brings with it a beautiful bounty of fresh fruits. It's a shame that we can't stretch the season until the end of the year. But there is a way! Preserve them. Make jams, jellies, preserves, or fruit butters. Jam-making is actually easy to do -- all you need is fruit, some sugar, a pot and canning jars. So why not get started now while the picking is perfect?

The best part about preserves is that you can enjoy them all year long -- simply keep a few jars tucked away in the pantry. Spread preserves on hearty bread, buttered toast, or even enjoy it with appetizers like cheese or in a grilled cheese sandwich. Check out our collection of recipes, which includes grape jam, berry jam, apple butter and even tomato jam. Enjoy the fruits of your labors!

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  • Apricot Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/apricot-jam_n_1061407.html" target="_hplink">Apricot Jam recipe</a></strong> If you like your apricot jam runny, then this is the recipe for you. It has chunky bits of fruit in a thick, honey-like syrup and an amazing fragrance.

  • Stone Fruit Butter

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/stone-fruit-butter_n_1058720.html" target="_hplink">Stone Fruit Butter recipe</a></strong> Use your favorite combination of stone fruit (cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, apricots) to make this stone fruit butter. It's luscious and flavorful.

  • Mixed Berry Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/mixed-berry-jam_n_1058565.html" target="_hplink">Mixed Berry Jam recipe</a></strong> Mix together all of summer's berries (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries) to make the ultimate berry jam. Buttered and jammed toast never looked so good.

  • Over-The-Top Cherry Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/over-the-top-cherry-jam_n_1061389.html" target="_hplink">Over-the-Top Cherry Jam recipe</a></strong> Sour cherries are terrific for jam, which turns out sweet and tart. To get a nice, spreadable consistency, chop the pitted cherries in a food processor.

  • Concord Grape Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/concord-grape-jam_n_1061354.html" target="_hplink">Concord Grape Jam recipe</a></strong> No peanut butter sandwich is complete without grape jam. This is the recipe that will have kids -- and adult kids -- smiling.

  • Late Raspberry Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/late-raspberry-jam_n_1061408.html" target="_hplink">Late Raspberry Jam recipe </a></strong> If you've got an overabundance of raspberries, make jam. Use late raspberries for the best flavor and make enough jam to use all year long.

  • Simplest Rhubarb Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/simplest-rhubarb-jam_n_1057967.html" target="_hplink">Simplest Rhubarb Jam recipe</a></strong> This pink vegetable makes a wonderful jam. It turns golden with cooking. Serve it as a jam or a condiment to savory appetizers, like cheese. Photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/diwineanddine/3696321072/" target="_hplink">di.wineanddine, Flickr</a>.

  • August Red Nectarine Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/august-red-nectarine-jam_n_1061352.html" target="_hplink">August Red Nectarine Jam recipe</a></strong> Use August Red nectarines for this jam recipe. It lends the jam its pretty color. But feel free to use any nectarine variety.

  • Blackberry-Lemon Marmalade

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/blackberry-lemon-marmalad_n_1061356.html" target="_hplink">Blackberry-Lemon Marmalade recipe</a></strong> Lemons add a pleasant tartness to this blackberry marmalade recipe. It's an especially wonderful pairing when blackberries are sweet like honey at the height of their season.

  • Gooseberry-Ginger Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/gooseberry-ginger-jam_n_1059487.html" target="_hplink">Gooseberry-Ginger Jam recipe</a></strong> Gooseberries are tart-sweet berries much like currants in flavor. This jam pairs the berries with hot ginger, making it a unique-tasting spread that's good for both the sweet and savory.

  • Fresh Fruit Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/fresh-fruit-jam_n_1061976.html" target="_hplink">Fresh Fruit Jam recipe</a></strong> Use this recipe to make fruit jam from any of your favorite fruits. It's especially great for making strawberry jam, because it calls for pectin to help gel the fruit.

  • Fresh Fruit Butter

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/fresh-fruit-butter_n_1061959.html" target="_hplink">Fresh Fruit Butter recipe</a></strong> Unlike jam, fruit butter doesn't use pectin -- instead you cook the fruit until it's extremely thick and sticky. Use this recipe to make blueberry butter, stone fruit butter, apple butter and more.

  • Peach Freezer Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/peach-freezer-jam_n_1061762.html" target="_hplink">Peach Freezer Jam recipe</a></strong> This peach jam recipe uses very little sugar because it includes grape juice. Chop the peaches in the food processor to get a good even consistency. Freeze the jam in jars if you like.

  • Pear Butter

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/pear-butter_n_1049973.html" target="_hplink">Pear Butter recipe</a></strong> Simmer pears with pear nectar and there's no need for sugar in this recipe. You'll get a creamy texture that's full of flavor. Enjoy the butter spread on scones, bread or stirred into yogurt.

  • Low-Sugar Plum Spread

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/low-sugar-plum-spread_n_1049929.html" target="_hplink">Low-Sugar Plum Spread recipe</a></strong> Cooking the plums with grape juice means you don't have to use sugar in this fruit spread recipe (if you like it sweeter you can use low-calorie sweetener). Adding some apples creates natural pectin that helps gel the fruit.

  • Seedless Red Currant Jelly

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/seedless-red-currant-jell_n_1061355.html" target="_hplink">Seedless Red Currant Jelly recipe</a></strong> Tart red currants turn into a dark burgundy jelly that's ideal spread on buttered toast. Jellies are seedless, which makes eating this one much more enjoyable. Photo from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/vilseskogen/4738292763/" target="_hplink">Vilseskogen, Flickr</a>

  • Early Girl Tomato Jam

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/early-girl-tomato-jam_n_1061353.html" target="_hplink">Early Girl Tomato Jam recipe</a></strong> For those who consider tomatoes a fruit, this is the jam recipe for you. It's sweet and perfect on buttered toast or try it with dry hard cheeses.

  • Roasted Apple Butter

    <strong>Get the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/27/roasted-apple-butter_n_1049116.html" target="_hplink">Roasted Apple Butter recipe</a></strong> Roasting apples concentrates their flavor and sweetness. This recipe doesn't even use sugar, just apple juice.

  • WATCH: How To Make Jams And Preserves

    Instead of paying top dollar for cute jam jars in fancy food stores, learn how to make your own delicious fruit spreads.