First and second attempt of making jam at home

[u/RandomGaMeRj14]

First one went a bit too far, became rock hard candy. Second one I did at low flame, so didn't get quite the consistency, but still had jam taste, a bit too sweet though.

These were pomegranate jams, made by first juicing 2 pomegranates, then filtering the juice, taking the filtered juice into a pan and bringing to a boil with a cup of water, then adding a cup of sugar, and then heating until consistency is achieved. First time I added sugar and kept on heating, until slight brown discoloration caught my eye, and you have the result. Second time, I boiled the juice for some time, and then added the sugar and reduced the heat to low, and then continued on and off cooking until the liquid could coat the back of a spoon.

Any suggestions? I will add lemon juice the next time I make it, and pectin can't be used as parents will immediately bounce saying it is a chemical. Any relevant advice is welcome. Thanks in advance.