So many people worry and stress over canning, however this Ball recipe we used is so easy, anyone can truly do it!
My one recommendation is to use strawberries that are local to insure freshness and sweetness. We prefer the wide mouth jars for storage and usability. We made a total of 22 jars of strawberry preserve for the upcoming year and I am beyond thrilled.
Make sure you follow the ingredient list carefully. You never want to adjust the ingredients when preserving, its much different than baking or cooking. We did use different jars, and didn't crush our strawberries as much due to the fact that we didn't have a masher, but we followed the recipe along the way.
YOU WILL NEED:
- 5 cups crushed strawberries (about 5 lbs)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
- 7 cups granulated sugar
- 8 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
DIRECTIONS:
- PREPARE boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
- COMBINE strawberries and lemon juice in a 6- or 8-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
- ADD entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.
- LADLE hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
- PROCESS in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
DELICIOUS HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM VARIATIONS
Vanilla Strawberry Jam:
Add half a vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise, to the crushed strawberries. Cook as directed and remove vanilla bean before ladling jam into jars. The resulting jam will be enhanced with subtle yet distinct vanilla overtones.
Strawberry Balsamic Jam:
Reduce the lemon juice to 1 tbsp and add 3 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar. Balsamic vinegar accents the strawberry flavor and gives the jam a robust taste.
Lemony Strawberry Jam:
Add the grated zest of 1 large lemon to the crushed strawberries.
Peppered Strawberry Jam:
Stir 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper into the cooked jam just before ladling it into the jars. Pepper accents and compliments strawberries' sweet flavor. Be sure to use freshly ground pepper, which delivers a fresher-quality flavor.
This recipe comes straight from Ball's website and works every time! They have more recipes you can follow along with on their website!
https://www.freshpreservinguk.co.uk/recipes/strawberry-jam