Canning: Strawberry Jam

I am at work right now...I needed something to keep me awake...coffee...still sleepy.
Blogging...sure way to keep my mind going...so here I am.

I was reviewing my old posts from my old kusina that I transferred here. Most of the posts then had recipes on geocities webpage that I tied up with my blog posts because photoblogging then was not yet "in" at the time. I (painstakingly) made separate webpages to show step-by-step photos of things I was doing then. I was quite surprised to find out I did make one for homemade strawberry jam, but which was not tied to a blog post. So I am making one for that now. Though strawberry season is quite far away...

I make strawberry jams whenever my MIL tells me she has had enough for her own use. My kids would pick them, we would eat some, and the rest I would make into strawberry jams. Strawberry jams and raspberry jams are our favorites. Very good on rolls, Club crackers, over cheesecake, etc. I have brought several jars of these for munching during work, and my British and American co-workers loved my homemade jams. "Cannot compare with them commercial ones!"

Pick-your-own strawberries from a nearby farm. This was before my MIL started her own patch.

Ingredients:

5 1/2 cups mashed strawberries
1 box pectin (Her preference is Sure-Jell)
7 cups sugar
8 jars for canning

Instructions:

Boil water for sterilizing jars then let simmer until ready for sterilizing jars. Wash jars and screw bands in hot, soapy water; rinse with warm water.

Prepare strawberries by removing the stems and mashing thoroughly with fork. (I think you can also use chopper batch by batch.) Put in a big saucepan and heat to boil, constantly stirring while gradually adding the pectin until fully dissolved and bring to full rolling boil (A boil that does not stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.Add 1/2 tsp butter or margarine to reduce foaming, if desired.

Stir in sugar quickly. Return to full rolling boil and boil EXACTLY 1 MINUTE, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

Pour quickly into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads.

Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands TIGHTLY.Turn upside-down right away, then turn upright again after 5 minutes (This process is to ensure that minimal (unsterile) air is trapped, and that the hot jam will sterilize that space by inversion. Setting it upright after 5 minutes will ensure proper setting where the jam does not stick to the lid.)

Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. You may store unopened jams in cool, dry dark place up to 1 year. Refrigerate opened jams up to 3 weeks.

You may use strawberry jams on rolls/bread, Ritz crackers or saltine crackers.

Note: Upon setting, if you are using a larger jar, you may notice separation of layers. Above is the jam with all the bits of strawberries, and below a clear layer, which is the jelly.

Also, after the strawberry season comes the raspberry. When picking, the stems easily detach from the ripe fruits. Wash the raspberries just before the procedure, then proceed as with the strawberry jam procedure.

One double batch of strawberry jam.

Tips:

Freshly picked strawberries should be washed ONLY when you are ready to consume/use it, otherwise it will spoil easily.

Pick only red and plump strawberries. When picked too soon, it won't have a sweet taste.

When in full rolling boil, you may lessen the foaming by adding 1/2 tsp butter.

Follow closely the timing of pouring boiling water into the jars and of removing the water and of closing the jars with the lids. Also minimize the air incorporated in the jar. Leaving a small space for air will result in popping in of the lid when the jam cools down, a sign of successful technique to ensure sterile procedures.

Additional info on jams and jellies available at www.surejell.com .
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