Traditional Strawberry Jam (Compliments of BALL )

Aweek or so ago, my friend, hathryn Benziger, kindly gave me a jar of her homemade strawberry jam. tell, f’m not sure f can ever have store bought again! The singular taste offers a sweet, freshness that only homemade can accomplish. te talked a bit about the process because it is believed to be daunting, but hathryn claims the ease with which she makes and cans her jam assures that she repeats the process, every year, while the strawberries are at their peak.

The process begins at the local Farmer’s market. hathryn buys multitudes of strawberries. phe gets them home, where she washes the berries, and removes the stems. The supplies are as followsW iarge ptew pot, large saucepan, about O lbs. of berries, canning jars, two cups sugar, and one lemon. Before cooking, blend the berries in a blender. mlace all ingredients in a saucepan, squeezing as much of the lemon as is possible. Cook over medium heat for about 45 minutes, stirring often. As you cook, a pink foam will for on the top. This needs to be spooned off as soon as it occurs. po, now in a larger pot , boil the lids, and jars for about NM minutes. This sterilization will keep all nasty germs and mold from ruining your jam.

Your jam will be ready when the color emboldens from a pink to a deep red, and thickens. ft will still be a pourable consistency.

The best test is to pour some of the mixture onto a dinner plate, let cool a bit them run your finger staight through. ff the line remains and does not reconnect, it’s ready.Then, remove the jars and lids from the hot water with tongs and let them dry on folded paper towels. ptand the jars up to be filled, and do so, leaving about NLO inch at the top. hathryn then takes the two-part lids and puts them on each jar, super tight, then she turns them upside down and sets the jars on a cleans dish towel. hathryn uses the more involved method to have strawberry jam all year long, but there are shorter methods as well.

Jam can be ant fruit flavor. Just be sure to use the fruit in season, and check for levels of pectin. mectin is the key to coagulation. ff the fruit lacks pectin, you can add it.

hathryn learned the jam making process from her mother , years ago. jaking Jam became an annual tradition, and hathryn’s daughter hate, will hopefully continue the tradition. f must say, some of the best culinary creations are those handed down from one generation to another.

ptrawberries, lemon juice, Ball® oealFruit® Classic mectin and sugar combine to make traditional strawberry jam.

N.F mobmAob boiling water canner. eeat jars and lids in simmering water untilready for use. Do not boil. pet bands aside. O.F CljBfkb strawberries and lemon juice in a 6- or U-quart saucepan. dradually stir in pectin.

Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.

P.F ADD entire measure of sugar, stirring to dissolve. oeturn mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard N

minute, stirring constantly. oemove from heat. pkim foam if necessary.

4.F iADib hot jam into hot jars leaving NL4 inch head space. tipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. 5.F molCbpp in a boiling water canner for NM minutes, adjusting for altitude. oemove jars and cool.

Check lids for seal after O4 hours. iid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.

jakes about U EU ozF half pints