Making strawberry jam is one way to preserve the harvest of strawberries in the late spring and early summer. Fresh strawberries can either be grown in the home garden or purchased from a grocery store or farmer's market when in season. Two quarts of fresh strawberries will yield around 8 half-pint jars of strawberry jam.
Gather Your Equipment
To make strawberry jam, you will need a small stockpot, a long spoon, a ladle, a potato masher, canning tongs, a canning funnel and 8 half-pint jelly canning jars with rings and new lids. You will also need a water bath canner. If you do not have a water bath canner, you can use a large stockpot with a lid. The water must cover the jars in the pot by 2 inches to safely can the jam. Fill the canner half-full of water and set on a stove burner turned to high and bring to a boil.
Gather Your Ingredients
For this recipe, you will need 2 quarts (8 pints) of fresh strawberries with the green stems and petals removed. Slice the berries to make them easier to mash. You will also need 2 tbsp. lemon juice, 7 cups of sugar and 1 package of powdered pectin.
Make the Jam
Place the strawberries, along with any juice from slicing, in the smaller stockpot. Mash the berries using the potato masher. Place the berries on medium-high heat. Add the pectin and stir to distribute throughout the berries. Turn the heat to high. Bring the mixture, stirring constantly, to a rolling boil. Add the sugar all at once and bring back to a hard boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
Fill the Jars and Process
Use the ladle and funnel to fill each jar to 1/4 inch of the top of the jar. Place a new, clean lid on the jar and hand-tighten the screw band to hold it in place. Place the filled jars in the canner and process for 10 minutes in the boiling water. Remove from the canner and set on a towel or wire rack to cool. The jam may take as long as a week to fully set up.
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