Fresh Strawberry Jam

This is the best stuff ever! I am so blessed to have a great garden and an amazing husband who LOVES gardening! So every June, we venture out and harvest a vast amount of these beautiful strawberries and can some jam. Last year the jam we canned lasted for just over 11 months. We ran out 2 weeks before our berries were ready. So, so cool! This is a very basic jam recipe and so great for first time canners. We used this recipe from Pioneer Woman (She has a great tutorial if you are a first timer). We cut the sugar in half. (Our berries were super sweet!)

Fresh Strawberry Jam

5 cups hulled, smashed strawberries (I like my jam smooth so I just run my strawberries through the food processor)

7 cups sugar (we used 3 1/2 cups)

4 T fresh lemon juice

1 package powdered fruit pectin (49g)

Place 8 or 9 sterilized (I just run through my dishwasher) 8-oz mason jars in a large hot water bath canner (not a pressure canner). Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer center lids in a separate sauce pan of water.

Place smashed strawberries and lemon juice in a large pot. Stir in the pectin until it dissolves. Bring the strawberry mixture to a strong boil. Add sugar, then return to a full boil that can't be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute 15 seconds. Skim the foam off the top using a spoon and discard it.

Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Pour the water back into the pot. Using a wide mouth funnel, fill each jar with jam. Make sure to leave 1/4-inch of space at the top of each jar. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, damp cloth to remove any residue or stickiness. Remove a middle lid from the simmering saucepan and position it on top. Put scewbands on the jar but do NOT over tighten! Repeat with the remaining jars, then place them on a canning rack and lower them into the water. Place the lid on the canner and bring the water back to a full boil. Boil hard for 10-12 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the water for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water with a jar lifter and let them sit, untouched, for 24 hours. After 24 hours, remove the screwbands and check to make sure all the jars sealed. The center lids should have no give at all! If the seals are compromised, store those jars in the fridge. Otherwise wipe down the jars and store in your food storage or share with your friends!