Ingredients
- 5 cups strawberries washed, stems removed, and chopped
- 7 cups sugar granulated
- 4 tbsp fruit pectin
- 2 Tbsp. lemon juice use bottled not fresh
Recipe Description
Strawberry jam the essence of early summer condensed into lovely jars of sweet, sticky, delicious jam. Strawberry jam, ready to be eaten straight up with a spoon, spread on a piece of toast for breakfast or used in, on, or with other foods. All the choices are delicious. Ripe berries, picked at their peak, are essential for fabulous jam! The thickener is fruit pectin which has no animal products so, the jam is vegan. This recipe can be adjusted to make a big or small batch of strawberry jam. Pectin can be purchased from most grocery stores. It comes in a box called SureJell Pectin or RealFruit Pectin.
Recipe Directions
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Add the crushed berries to a large kettle. The kettle shouldn't be more than 1/2 full.
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Add the lemon juice to the crushed berries. The lemon juice helps the jam jell and add acidity to lower the ph and prevent the growth of bacteria.
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Add the Fruit Pectin to the berries and stir well.
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Stir constantly to prevent scorching and bring to a full rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Boiling gives lots of bubbles on the top of the jam. A rolling boil that can't be stirred down means you can't make the bubbles go away by vigorous stirring. Boil for 1 minute.
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Add the sugar all at once and stir in. Stir constantly to bring to a second rolling boil that can't be stirred down. Boil a full minute again.
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Remove from the heat. Skim off the foam and discard. Fill the jam jars. Leave about 1/2 inch of space between the jam and the top of the jar.
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Put the jars in a water bath canner. Cover the jars with water and bring to a boil in a water bath canner. Boil the jars for 20 minutes. Remove the jars from the water and let them cool completely.
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8. Once the jars have cooled test the lids to make sure the jars are sealed. Test for a seal by pressing down in the center of the lid with your finger. If the lid springs back up when you release your finger the jar isn't sealed. If the jar doesn't seal, take off the lid and check the jar rim to make sure it is not chipped. Discard the lid and put a new lid on the jar. Reheat the jar in the water batch
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Optional: a TBS. of butter or oil helps break up the surface tension of the jam and minimizes the foam you will have to skim and discard before you fill the jars.
