Last week, we were able to get some great strawberries from a friend for 75 cents/pound! Yay! We bought 16 pounds and decided to have a little bit of strawberry fun.
I had a bunch of pectin in my pantry, so I decided to make some strawberry jam.
FYI, the Ball Instant Fruit Pectin package uses a lot less sugar than the other two pectins. The other two pectin packages require a TON of sugar and “they” say you can’t reduce the amount of sugar or it won’t set up right. 🙁
Note: Freezer jam uses less sugar because it’s only used as a sweetener, not as a preservative. Sugar helps to preserve cooked jam, so it requires more.
Bummer.
I know there are other pectin packages out there that require less sugar, but I just decided to use what I had on hand. I figured we don’t eat jam by the bowlful, so I’m okay with it. 😉
ANYWAY, I made a batch of freezer jam (super easy!) and two batches of cooked jam (also easy, but a lot more time consuming), so I thought I would share the process with y’all.
If you’ve made jam before, you know how easy it is to make.
If you’ve never made jam before, but would like to….you’ll see how easy and non-intimidating it is to make! Also, if you’ve wanted to try preserving or canning food, I think jam is a very easy thing to start with!
First off, I want to note that the strawberries I used were not organic. So, I washed them very well. I soaked them in a big bowl of water with a little bit of lemon juice and vinegar (about 1 Tablespoon of each) for about 20 minutes. Then I rinsed them off with plain water. Very simple, yet effective. 😉
After I washed the berries, here is how I made the jam…
Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam
You will need:
- 4 cups crushed strawberries
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 packet Ball Instant Fruit Pectin
- 5 (8 oz) half pint jars OR 2 (16 oz) pint jars + 1 (8 oz) jar
And here’s how you make it….
Mix sugar and pectin in a bowl…
Crush strawberries using a potato masher, hand mixer, food processor, etc. I used my food processor…
Add the crushed fruit to the pectin/sugar mixture….
Mix for 3 minutes. You want to make sure the sugar dissolves entirely, or your jam will be grainy.
Ladle the jam into jars and let stand 30 minutes. Enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks or the freezer for 6-8 months.
Strawberry Cooked Jam
You will need:
- 4 cups crushed strawberries
- 7 cups sugar (yikes!)
- 1/2 teaspoon butter (optional, but helps to eliminate foam)
- 1 pouch Certo Fruit Pectin
- 8 (8 oz) half pint jars OR 4 (16 oz) pint jars
And here’s how you make it….
Fill a water canner half full with water and bring to a low boil.
Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water. Rinse and dry.
Put flat lids in saucepan covered with water. Bring water to a low boil and then turn off heat and let sit until ready to use.
Prepare Strawberries:
Wash thoroughly and crush strawberries using a potato masher, hand mixer or food processor. I used a food processor.
After the strawberries are crushed, measure out exactly 4 cups.
Put the strawberry puree, sugar and butter (optional) in large saucepan.
Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn’t stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in pectin (act fast). Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon (because I used butter, I didn’t have any foam.)
Ladle the jam into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops (it helps to have a canning funnel.)
Wipe the jar rims and threads with a wet washcloth.
Cover with hot lid and add screw band. Screw bands tightly.
Place jars on elevated rack in canner.
Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.)
Cover; bring water to gentle boil.
Once the water is boiling, process for 10 minutes.
**You need to add more time if you are at a higher altitude** Here is the altitude chart:
Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely.
After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)
That’s it! It might look complicated, but it’s not hard…I promise! AND, it’s yummy! My kids have loved it. They’ve asked for countless PB&J sandwiches and toast with jam.
Here is the end product. 8 pints of cooked jam and 2+ pints of freezer jam. Yum!
Well there ya go! Now bring on spring and more strawberries! I hope y’all have a wonderful day!
Even though the cooked method seems like it would take longer I think I would rather do that one! It looks so yummy though!
I feel the same way! I liked the cooked one better. 😉
Yum! That would taste great on toast or in oatmeal!!!
Oooo, I never thought about using it in oatmeal! Yum! Thanks for the tip. 😉