Intro to Jam Making

Here's a brief overview of the steps involved in making strawberry jam.

1.) Wash the jars you'll be using and get them warmed up a bit. I like to fill them part of the way with warm water and then leave them in my sink until I need them.

2.) Fill the water bath canner with water until it's about 1/2 or 3/4 of the way full. You want enough water in there to cover your jars by an inch or two when they are lowered into the water. Turn on the heat so that the canner is boiling by the time your jars are ready.

3.) Wash your strawberries and remove the stem.

4.) Mash your strawberries in small batches. I put no more than a handful in a bowl at a time. A potato masher can be helpful.

5.) Continue mashing until you've measured out 4 cups of strawberries if using liquid pectin and 5 cups if used powdered.

6.) Place the mashed strawberries into the stockpot. Add about 1/2 a tsp of butter to keep down the foaming. If using liquid pectin, add your 7 cups of sugar here. If using powdered pectin, add it at this point and save the sugar for later. I was using liquid pectin here so the fruit and sugar are being mixed.

7.) Bring your mixture to a rolling boil.

8.) If using liquid pectin, add it now. If using powdered pectin, stir in 7 cups of sugar.

9.) Bring back to a boil then boil rapidly for exactly a minute.

10.) Remove from heat and skim off any foam that has developed on the top. You can save this foam and eat it with toast- it's very yummy but just doesn't look so pretty if there's lots in your jam.

11.) Ladle your hot jam mixture into your prepared jars using a funnel. There will be about 8 cups of liquid so you can fill either 4 pint jars or 8 half pint jars. I often end up with a little extra, so it's good to have an extra jar handy just in case.

12.) Wipe around the lip of the jar with a paper towel to remove any jam that may be there.

13.) Place lids onto the jars and attach your screw bands.

14.) Place your jars into the water bath canner and lower them into the water. There should be about an inch or two of water covering your jars.

15.) Bring the water in the water bath canner to a boil and process for 10 minutes.

16.) Remove the jars from the canner and set aside on a towel. Leave the jars here for 24 hours to let them cool and for the jam to set. If any of the jars don't seal within a few hours put them in the refrigerator. The jam is still edible, it just won't keep at room temperature.

17.) The next day remove the screw bands and wash your jars in warm soapy water.

18.) Store your jars in a cool dry place. They should be good for up to a year.