Strawberry Jam
Blackberry Jam….oh no wait…..Strawberry. So every year at this time I am used to blackberries being ready for picking. It has been such a regular occurrence the last few years that I did not call to see if they were ready. So imagine my surprise when Saturday morning I showed up early to pick, only to find that they are late this year and still another 2-3 weeks away (from being able to pick big batches). So, here is a tip, learn from my mistake and call your local farm first! It was not a loss however, as the strawberries were beautiful and I needed to make a batch.
Many people think that there is some big secret, or that it is a big chore to can your own foods. As I was growing up, you spent the summers processing the foods that came in so that you had plenty for the winter season. Fruits are usually high in acids so they only need a water bath canner which is very simple to do.
This weekend I canned 36 of the 12 oz give away jars. I find that a selection of homemade jams make nice gifts and I supply a lot of people with their jam for the year. I also processed 6 sugar free jars made with Splenda for the people that I know that can’t have sugar, and 12 pints of regular jars.
Over the years I have experimented with “designer jams” combining flavors like strawberry lemon, strawberry pepper, strawberry vanilla, and strawberry balsamic. You should definitely experiment to find your favorite flavor blend. I have found that each if these are wonderful in their own way and have developed a long line of fans (strawberry lemon being the most popular..think a strawberry lemonade flavor). While each of these are a great blend, and the additional flavor brings out a different aspect of the strawberry, there is nothing like a simple classic. Make sure you measure correctly as the ratios are very important to getting your jam to set correctly.
For you avid canners out there, sorry for the canning 101 recipe. For those who have never canned, give it a try, it is really very simple. If you need a canning cookbook, check out the selection of them in our store.
7 cups granulated sugar
5 cups crushed strawberries, approximately 8 cups
4 tbsp lemon juice
1/8 to 1/4 tsp lemon zest (optional) I like a little lemon in the background
1 package 1.75oz regular powdered pectin
1/2 tsp butter (optional, but it cuts down on the foam that you will need to remove later)
- 1. Place 8 clean 8-ounce ( if you like larger portions you can use 12oz or 16 oz too just use less jars canning jars) on a rack in a boiling-water canner. (You can also use a large, deep saucepan or stockpot that is at least 3inches deeper than the height of the jars.) Fill the jars and canner with cool water that reaches the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Do not boil.
- 2. Prepare the same number of closures as number of jars you are processing. Set screw bands aside. Place lids in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat
just to a simmer over medium heat, but do not boil. Keep lids warm until ready to use. Do not heat screw bands.
- 3. Measure sugar into a bowl and set aside. (Sugar is added to the boiling jam all at once, so measuring it ahead of time prevents errors in quantities and eliminates cooking delays.)
- 4. In a colander placed over a sink, wash strawberries in cool running water. Drainthoroughly and, using a strawberry huller or the rounded end of a potato peeler, remove hulls. Cut the strawberries into quarters.
- 5. In a bowl, place a single layer of strawberries. Using a potato masher, crush the berries and transfer to a 1-cup (250 ml) liquid measure. I like my jam with larger berries in it, so I do not crush them as fine. If you like berry pieces in your jam, remember that the berries will cook down in the process, so do not be afraid to leave some larger pieces. As you accumulate each cup transfer the crushed berries to a large, deep stainless steel pot. Make sure your pot is deep enough as the mixture will double in size as it boils with the sugar and you do not want it to overflow. I use a stockpot. Repeat until you have 5 cups (1.25 L) of crushed strawberries.
- 6. Add lemon juice and butter to the crushed strawberries in saucepan. Whisk in the pectin until dissolved. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and, stirring constantly, return to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down. The mixture will now be twice the size, stir slowly and be careful to be well above the liquid so that none of it splatters on you as it will be extremely hot. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and, using a large slotted metal spoon, skim off any foam.
- 7. Fill one jar at a time. Remove jar from canner and empty hot water back into canner. (Do not dry jar.) Place jar on a tray or towel covered counter and place a canning funnel in it. Ladle hot jam into hot jar, leaving 1/4 inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Slide a nonmetallic utensil, such as a rubber spatula, down between the jam and the inside of jar two or three times to release air bubbles. Adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. With a clean damp cloth or paper towel, wipe jar rim and threads to remove any food residue. Using a magnetic or nonmetallic utensil, lift hot lid from water and center it on jar. Place screw band on jar and, with your fingers, screw band down evenly and firmly, just until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight. Do not over-tighten or use any tools to apply screw band. Return jar to canner rack and repeat until all jam is used .
- 8. When all jars are filled, lower rack into canner and ensure jars are completely covered by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of hot water. Cover canner and bring water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Process (continue boiling rapidly) for 10 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full rolling boil. At the end of the processing time, turn heat off and remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, without tilting. Place jars upright on a towel in a draft-free place and let cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours.
- 9. After 24 hours, check lids for seal. Remove screw bands and press down on the center of each lid with your finger. Sealed lids will be concave (they’ll curve downward) and will show no movement when pressed. Jars that haven’t sealed properly must be refrigerated immediately. Rinse and dry screw bands. Wipe jars and, if desired, loosely reapply screw bands. Label jars and store in a cool, dry, dark place.
