StoneGable Strawberry Jam

How To Make Strawberry Jam

Let's make JAM!!!!

My day started early at a local farm stand. I wanted first pick of the locally grown strawberries and raspberries, My car smelled delicious on the ride home!

Then I spent the bulk of the day making 40 jars of  sweet fruity jam.

My wonderful husband Bobby had picked  sour cherries from our tree last evening, and had requested that I make his favorite, Sour Cherry Jam.

I live in a part of the country where people still make preserves just like their mothers and grandmothers did. Where jellies and jams are entered in local fairs for a coveted blue ribbon and bragging rights!

But I am a transplant~ not a native. I never leared to make jam as a child. But as we settled in this beautiful area and I started homemaking I became so interested in preserving the bounty of the land. And I started with making jam.

I basically use the recipe in the box of Sure Jell (Premium Fruit Pectin).  It makes a consistantly delicious and simple jam. I highly suggest you give it a try.

The only thing I do differently is add the zest of 1 lemon and some lemon juice. Because I am a purist when it comes to wonderful fresh fruit I don't really doctor it up with anything. Just fruit, sugar and Sure Jell. Yummy!

StoneGable Strawberry Jam

5 cups crushed strawberries

7 cups sugar

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp butter

12-8oz.  Ball canning jars with lids and rims  (this recipe will use about 8-9)

* Do not double recipe. I made 3 seperate batches

Heat water in a large stockpot  or canner. Clean 8 oz. canning jars with warm sudsy water. Rinse thoroughly. *Only clean jars, set lids and rings aside. Put jars into the pot and make sure they are covered with water by 2 inches. Gently boil water. Jars must be sterilized. Do not take them out of the water. Keep canner gently boiling.

Heat water in a small sauce pan to a slow simmer. This will be used to warm up the lids. Keep water slowly simmering. Do not put lids in yet!

Rinse and hull strawberries.

Mash 1 cup of strawberries at a time to equal 5 cups. I use a potato masher.

In a separate bowl measure 7 cups of sugar and set aside.

Put strawberries in a large pot and add 1 package of Sure Jell Premium Fruit Pectin, zest of a lemon, lemon juice and butter ( butter keep the foam to a minimum). Heat over medium heat stirring constantly. Bring strawberries to a rolling boil.

Add sugar all at once. Stirring constantly bring the mixture back to a boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.

Put lids (not rims) in the small saucepan and take off heat.

Take 1 jar out of simmering water at a time CAREFULLY. Skim off any foam that has formed on the top of the jam. Ladle jam into jars. Wipe off the rim of the jar with a clean damp paper towel.

Take lid out of hot water with tongs and place on jar. Screw on rims.

Put jars back in canner and process for 10 minutes. Take out of canner and put on a doubled kitchen towel.

Listen for that little"click" of the lids that tells you that they are sealed.

Let cool. Check that each lid has sealed by pressing the center of the lid. If it clicks when you can push the center down, refrigerate or freeze this jar because it has not sealed properly.

This is the recommended way to safely preserve jam. I always use Sure Jell. The directions are very thorough, precise and easy to understand.

At the end of the day, I am tired, sticky but very satisfied! My pantry looks beautiful with 26 jars of strawberry jam, 8 jars of raspberry jam and 6 jars of sour cherry jam. And my whole house smells like sweet sticky jammy goodness!