Since I am on a jam kick these days, I decided to try my hand at making my own. Plus I had a ton of strawberries and didn't want them to go bad!
So I searched online for a simple recipe for strawberry jam. Because I was lazy and didn't want to go to the store for pectin, and since I didn't have any on hand, I narrowed down my search by looking for pectin free jams.
I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.
Pectin Free Stawberry Jam:
- 2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled (I used 4)
- 4 cups white sugar (I used 8... thats a lot of sugar!)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (I used 1/2 a cup)
Step 1: Mash the Berries
Step 2: Start Steralizing Your Jars
Some choose to steralize in a hot dishwasher, or even a hot oven. Do what works for you, but make sure that they are hot and clean when you are going to fill them.
It is also important to steralize your lids. Remember- it is recommended to use a new lid each time to ensure you get a good seal. Rings can be re-used- but lids should be brand new.
Step 3: Make the Jam
Use the biggest stock pot you have, preferable with a heavy bottom.
Add all of the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice, stirring until all is disolved over low-to-medium heat. Increase the heat to high (incrementally), stirring often, until the mixture is at a full, rolling boil.
Continue to boil until the mixture reaches 220 F (105 C). If you do not have a food thermometor, you can test for jellying using the hint at the bottom of this blog post. (this is what I had to do. I found it took 20 minutes or so).
Step 4: Fill Your Jars and Process
Note: I did find that much of the fruit chunks floated to the top. One tip I found online to avoid this was to let the mixture cool for a few minutes before filling your jars.
After you have filled the jars, place the lids on top and screw on the metal rings lightly (not too tight!). Process in a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes.
Some of you may remember your parents using wax to seal jams and jellys. This is no longer considered safe so processing in a water bath is crutial.
Step 5: Allow to Cool and Check for Sealing
Note that it will take a full 48 hours for this jam to set- it may still appear very watery at this point. That is ok and does not mean that it will not get thicker.