Strawberries are abundant in the summer months and making a simple jam is one way to enjoy them. You can make your strawberry jam by adding pectin to firm it up or you can try a simpler method using lemon juice.
Instructions
1. Choose plump, firm red berries. Once picked, a strawberry won't ripen further. Don't wash your berries until you get ready to use them because the moisture causes them to spoil more quickly.
2. Wash four or five 1/2-pint canning jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse. Set the jars on a kitchen towel and fill them with hot water until ready to use. Place the bands and lids in a pan of water, bring them up to a boil, turn off the heat and let them sit until ready to use.
3. Hull 2 lbs. fresh strawberries. Place them in a large bowl and crush a potato masher. You should end up with about 4 cups of mashed berries.
4. Place the crushed berries, 4 cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice in the saucepan. Use a large saucepan with a heavy bottom to prevent your jam from scorching.
5. Put the pan over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved.
6. Raise the heat and bring the strawberry mixture to a rolling boil, stirring frequently, until it reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
7. Empty the hot water out of your clean canning jars. Using the funnel, ladle the hot jam into each jar, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Run a knife gently down the sides of each jar to remove air pockets. Place the lids and bands on the jars and process them in a water bath for 10 minutes.
Tags: until ready, canning jars, lemon juice, them with