It’s strawberry season here, y’all, and if you haven’t gotten yourself a pint or two of fresh, local strawberries yet, go change that. I’ll wait.
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Okay, welcome back!
So, because of the craziness of life with new baby homesteader, coupled with last year’s, errr, worldwide craziness, I haven’t been out to pick strawberries in a few years. (Good news, though – the picture above is of some of our own strawberry plants, which we are finally allowed to let produce fruit this year. Yay!)
This year, however, even though I didn’t have time to go out and pick them myself (other than the few we get from our plants), I shelled out the cash to buy a gallon from one of my local farmer’s markets.
Aside from using half of this gallon to make strawberry shortcake and just eat them out of hand, I, of course, made a supply of strawberry jam. FINALLY. And today, I shall share that recipe with you. A few notes before we get started:
- I tend to use less sugar in my jams (a cup or more less) than what is often called for in traditional recipes. This means that my jams are less sweet (duh), but also less thick than you might find at the store, or in a recipe with more sugar. You are welcome to add more to your taste.
- This recipe uses pectin to thicken the final product. If you want an old-fashioned strawberry jam with no pectin, you can refer to my Berry Jam recipe, and use strawberries for the fruit.
- If you’re preserving the jam, refer to my Pickled Okra post for a refresher. You can also put the jam in jars, allow the jam to come to room temperature, and place in the fridge for a week or two.
Let’s jam!
Strawberry Jam
Use strawberries in season for the best results.
you will need:
- 6 c granulated sugar
- 8 c strawberries, washed and hulled
- ¼ c lemon juice (bottled is fine)
- 50 g powdered fruit pectin
Directions
- If canning, prepare canning equipment. See my Pickled Okra post for a refresher.
- Measure sugar in a large bowl and set aside. (It’s super important, when working with powdered pectin, to add the sugar all at once; otherwise, the jam may not set properly.)
- In a large bowl, crush berries, about a cup or two at a time, using a potato masher or ricer, and transfer the berries and juice to a large saucepan. You should end up with about 5 cups of crushed fruit.
- Add lemon juice to the crushed strawberries, and whisk in the pectin until it is fully dissolved. Bring the mixture to a full rolling boil, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Add th sugar to the boiling mixture all at once, stirring constantly to combine, and return to a full rolling boil that doesn’t go down when you stir. Allow the mixture to boil for 1 full minute, stirring constantly. Remove the mixture from heat, and remove foam, if desired, with a slotted spoon. (In my experience, removing the foam is more of an aesthetic/texture preference, and I haven’t had any trouble leaving it be.)
- If canning, follow hot-water bath canning procedures, leaving ¼ inch headspace between the jam and the lid. Process jars in a hot-water bath for 10 minutes. Wait 5 minutes, then remove the jars from the canner, and allow to rest, upright and undisturbed, for 24 hours before testing the seals.
The Crunchy Baker 