We Be Jammin!

My youngest daughter and I made strawberry jam last week and it turned out really well. Only four ingredients and you have yourself a tasty jar of summer fruit.  You can use the jam for breakfast on waffles, toast or bagels, on the top of ice cream, or on baked goods.  It is not too sweet and full of strawberry flavor.  Next week, Peach Jam so stayed tuned.

This is what you will need, fresh strawberries, sugar, lemon, pectin, jars, seals and rims

Washed and hulled berries

slice them up

cooking on the stove and almost done

Canned and ready to eat or give as a gift

Packaged up for gifting.  These are the canning items I purchased on clearance at WalMart that I
showed you in an earlier blog, fabric lid covers, ribbon and tags.

YUM! ready to eat!

Fruity and tasty spread on my bagel flat... SO GOOD!

EASY STRAWBERRY JAM

4 1/2  cups of strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced

1 cup of white sugar

1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice

2 ½ tsp pectin

1 tsp water

Wash 5 – ½ pint canning jars in very hot water.  Place the metal rings and seals in a pan of water and bring to a boil, then turn the water off and leave the lids in the pan.

 

Bring a deep, Dutch oven type pot with water, to a boil.  It should be deep enough with water to cover the jars once you lower them into the bath to seal them.

 

Prepare the fruit. You can either place in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times or mash with a potato masher.  Transfer berries to a large saucepan. Add ½ cup of the sugar and the lemon juice.  Stirring frequently, bring the mix to a boil for about 15 minutes and continue stirring. When you are ready to gel it, add the 1 tsp of water to the berries and stir.  Mix the pectin with the other ½ cup of sugar and add to the strawberry mixture.  Stir quickly so the pectin dissolves into the mix and cook for about 2 -3 minutes until thickened.

Fill jars while the jam is hot. You can use a ladle or a canning funnel if you have one.  Make sure you keep your jars clean by wiping with a moistened cloth.  Leave about ¼ inch of space near the top of the each jar.  Place hot seal on top, then place the ring loosely, not too tight, on the jar (jars and rings can be reused but seals cannot).

While the jars are still hot, place them in the Dutch oven that is filled with boiling water using canning tongs. Lower them into the pan, without tipping them, right side up.  They should be totally covered with water at this point.  Continue to boil the jars for 10 -12 minutes.  Then remove from water, keeping upright, onto a cookie sheet to catch any dripping water.  All the jars should be sealed tight.  If they are not sealed you will be able to tell by pressing the center of the seal, if it has any give at all the jar is not sealed. Let them cool overnight so the jam sets.  Check again to see if they are completely sealed.  Tighten all the rings.  Jam will keep for up to 6 months unopened.  Once it is opened, store in the refrigerator.