Strawberry season! We missed it last year, so this year we made sure to get to the farmer's market in time to add to our jam collection. We are still savoring the last couple of jars of peach and pear jams, and apple jelly. Now it's time to finish those off and make room for a new season of canning goodness.
Making strawberry jam is pretty easy, compared to the work involved in canning other fruits and veggies. While I won't be covering precise step by step instructions on how to make the jam, I am hoping the the photos and descriptions below are helpful in showing exactly how easy it is to make this precious addition to the pantry. This was the first time we made the stuff, and it still turned out amazingly delicious!
If you have never canned, you should read up on it before attempting to can anything. Having sterile jars and lids and following all proper procedures will prevent a life threatening illness called Botulism, that can result from improperly canned food. Please do not take the risk and try canning before you have done some research and feel comfortable with all of the steps necessary to can food safely. Check out this link from the National Center for Home Food Preservation and get all the info you should need.
http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/how/general.html
This is what we used to get started.. 2 gallons of freshly picked strawberries from the farmer's market & 2 boxes of fruit pectin to make 2 batches. We like to get the kind that allows for "No Sugar Needed Recipes", as we like to use less sugar. The recipe we used did call for sugar, but about half of the usual amount. Directions on how to make the regular and low sugar recipes are in the box of fruit pectin.
First, you have to wash and cut the tops off the berries. This takes a little while, but not even close to the amount of time involved in apples and peaches, with having to peel & core them. There is no need to slice them either! Just toss the strawberries in a blender or food processor to puree. You will need to wash jars and lids and have ready to use before starting to prepare the strawberries for canning. You should have your lids in a small pan of water on low heat, to soften the seal.
Following the fruit pectin box directions, you will cook the pureed strawberries, adding a sugar and fruit pectin mixture and allowing to boil only a few minutes.
You should already have the sterile jars ready for filling, as it is important to get the cooked mixture in the jars and in a water bath as quickly as possible.
Once the jam mixture is fully cooked, ladel it into the jars, filling about 1/8 of an inch from the top. Wipe the rim of jars before putting on the lid and rings on the jars. Fill your jar rack and you are ready for putting in the already boiling water bath.
Canning can make the house very hot, so we used an outdoor propane cooker for the water bath processing. It's a lifesaver, especially since we have no AC!
Processing times vary by elevation. Be very careful removing the jar rack once the processing is complete. The jars are very, very HOT and can cause a lot of damage if falling and breaking at your feet!
Place the jars on a rack to cool. Within a couple of minutes, you should start hearing the tabs on the lids starting to pop. This lets you know that you did the job right and they are properly sealing! I love that POP sound!
After the jars have fully cooled, press on the center of each lid, to make sure they are completely sealed. If you are able to press the lid and it pops back up, your jar is not fully sealed and the contents are now perishable. Don't worry about it being a waste, just put it in the refrigerator and eat within a week or two.
It's a beautiful and tasty payoff for only a couple of hours of work! With our 2 gallons of fruit, we made about 16 half pints of jam and had a few pints of leftover pureed strawberries that we froze for making syrup, smoothies or whatever else we can dream up. Leftovers are always a plus! We will be enjoying the sweet, fresh taste of strawberries all year long. And if you're lucky, we might even share some!
