The sweet taste of strawberries, fingers stained rich red, the juice of these spring gems dripping down our chins, oh how I love this time of year! Making strawberry jam is one way our family preserves that special taste to enjoy through the winter months. It really is easy and takes only a little time and a few supplies. We enjoy fresh berries in our cereal or in pies and cobblers. We also enjoy having our own jam in the pantry when berries are out of season.
Basic Strawberry Jam
(yields approximately 8 half pints)
You will need:
- 2 quarts strawberries
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 pkg (or 5 TBsp) powdered pectin
- 1/4 tsp butter
- 7 cups sugar
- jelly jars, flats and rings
- Wash and stem strawberries.
- Set clean jelly jars, flats and rings in hot water. Leave until ready to fill.
- Crush berries a few at a time.
- In a large pot combine crushed berries, pectin, lemon juice, and butter.
- Bring to a hard rolling boil, stirring often.
- Add sugar all at once, stir to dissolve.
- Bring to a rolling boil again, then cook 1 full minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and pour into hot jars. Leave 1/4 inch space at top of jar.
- Wipe rim of jar with warm, damp rag.
- Place lid flat and tighten ring over jar.
- Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner or use inversion method (I share more information about these two process HERE.)
- ENJOY!
If you found this post helpful, you might like to visit my post on Making Peach Preserves.
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We don’t have our own strawberries nor access to large amounts of fresh berries, would frozen berries work for jam? There is no comparison between homemade and store bought jam-I’d love to make our own!
Yes, Erin, frozen berries work great! Let them thaw and then give them a little mashing – they’ll be a bit soft and mushy already so it won’t take much. Use 4 cups of the mashed berries. I freeze sliced strawberries an make jam in late winter with good results 🙂
Thanks, I hope I can get it done this weekend!
you are very welcome 🙂 enjoy the process and the fruits of your labor! I’d love to hear how it turns out for you.
I love strawberry jam! Haven’t made any in a year or so. Yummy. Nice step by step puctures.
Strawberry jam is the taste of summer to me 🙂 I’d love to be able to share some with you one day!
Hope to make strawberry jam this summer, my strawberry patch has been hit with late frost the last few years and we’ve missed those sweet little berries!
There’s nothing like fresh berries for making jam! I do hope you have a nice crop this year. We moved last year and I no longer have my own, but we are making do with what’s available. Thanks for stopping by, enjoy your summer days 🙂
Strawberry Jam is my absolute favorite! I make it without utilizing pectin but never considered adding the butter. It must deepen the flavors & look forward to giving it a try!
My kids will opt to go without jam if they can’t have homemade – I’ll have to try without pectin, now that berries are in season again. I do think the butter adds a touch of rich flavor, but mostly it reduces the foaming. But I have a confession – I rather like the foam!
Have a berry-licious weekend!
Oh, I love strawberries and this recipe sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing at the Weekend Blog Hop at My Flagstaff Home. –Jennifer
can’t beat the taste of strawberries!
Wonderful recipe, LInda! I pinned it. I have been buying the big boxes of strawberries at Costco and although I’ve been eating them as is, it will be fun to make them into jam with my oldest granddaughter.