Strawberry Jam

I just realised that two out of my last three posts have been about strawberries and this is going to be yet another one. Well, it’s strawberry season so I think I can be pardoned for it. I had a lot of strawberries in my refrigerator from our strawberry picking trip so I thought of trying strawberry jam.

I must admit that I’m not the jam/jelly making type . I’m perfectly happy with my store bought jams but I needed a way to use up a whole basket of strawberries which would otherwise spoil within a couple of days . I washed and froze half of them for making smoothies . For the other half I used this recipe for making jam:

8 cups washed and hulled strawberries
4 cups sugar
1 box Pectin Crystals (57 g)

1) Wash and hull the strawberries.
2) Wash jars and lids in hot soapy water/dishwasher and sterilize by placing them in the oven for 10 minutes at 225 degrees Celsius. Keep warm until ready to fill. Sterilize lids by keeping them in hot water until ready to use.
3) Crush the strawberries .Most recipes call for crushing the strawberries with a potato masher one layer at a time but I was in a hurry so I just crushed them in my food processor.
4) In a large saucepan stir together crushed strawberries and pectin crystals.
5) Bring to a boil over high heat.
6) Add all the sugar, stir and bring to a hard boil for 1 minute.
7) Remove from heat. Stir and skim the froth for 5 minutes . Pour into warm sterilized jars and put on lids. Cool down to room temperature and store in the refrigerator. The jam will set once it’s cool. Use within 3-4 weeks.

Note: There are many varieties of pectin – crystals/liquid/no sugar needed etc., so it’s always a good idea to check the label for instructions. The recipe might differ greatly , depending upon the type of pectin you are using.