Strawberries, Strawberries, Strawberries

MAKING STRAWBERRY JAM:

When strawberries are in season, make jams that you can enjoy throughout the year. Make an old-fashioned strawberry jam with just strawberries and sugar, a freezer jam using powdered pectin, or a jam with no added sugar. Choose the recipe that suits your tastes and enjoy!

Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam

  • Ingredients: 2 quarts crushed strawberries,  6 cups sugar
  • Combine berries and sugar; bring slowly to boiling, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly until thick, about 40 minutes. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Pour hot jam immediately into hot, sterile canning jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Process 5 minutes in a boiling water bath canner at altitudes up to 1,000 feet. (Add 1 minute to the processing time for each 1,000 feet of additional altitude.) Yield: 8 half-pint jars.
  • Source: So Easy to Preserve

Strawberry Freezer Jam

  • Ingredients: 4 cups crushed strawberries (about 4 1-lb containers of fresh strawberries or 3 12-oz bags of unsweetened frozen strawberries);  1½ cups sugar or Splenda®; 1 package (1.59 oz) Ball® No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin
  • Stir sugar and contents of package in a bowl until well blended. Stir in 4 cups crushed strawberries. Stir 3 minutes longer. Ladle jam into clean jars to fill line. Twist on lids. Let stand until thickened at room temperature, about 30 minutes. Store in the freezer for up to 1 year or in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Yield: about 5 half-pint jars.

 Source: Ball® No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin directions.

Jellied products without sugar or with reduced sugar cannot be made by leaving the sugar out of regular jelly recipes. Look for a pectin product that says “light”, “less sugar”, or “no sugar needed”, or use a recipe that specifically calls for a sugar substitute. Carefully follow pectin manufacturer’s instructions for making and storing jam.

No Sugar Added Strawberry Freezer Jam with Liquid Saccharin

  • This jam uses regular pectin (which contains some sugar), but the recipe is modified to use without added sugar. Makes 2 or 3 half-pint jars
  • 1 quart cleaned strawberries;  3 to 4 teaspoons liquid artificial sweetener; 1 package powdered fruit pectin (regular);  1 tablespoon lemon juice;  Red food coloring as desired
  • Crush strawberries in a 1½-quart saucepan. Stir in artificial sweetener, food coloring, powdered fruit pectin and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, and boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Continue to stir 2 minutes. Pour into freezer containers, leaving ½-inch headspace; cover and freeze. Thaw for use, then keep refrigerated.

 Source: So Easy to Preserve.

No Sugar Added Cooked Strawberry Jam

  • 5 cups crushed strawberries (about 2 quarts strawberries);  1 cup water or unsweetened fruit juice;  1 package Ball® Fruit Jell No Sugar Needed Pectin
  • Note: Although this jam does not need sugar to gel, up to 3 cups sugar may be added while cooking jam. Or, a sugar substitute may be added immediately after cooking, if desired.
  • Wash strawberries, remove caps, and crush strawberries one layer at a time. Put strawberries in a 6 to 8-quart saucepot, and add water or juice. Gradually sprinkle pectin over fruit mixture, stirring constantly until dissolved. (Do not add pectin all at once to prevent lumping.) Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. If you add sugar, return mixture to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and skim foam, if necessary. Add sugar substitute, if desired, at this time. Pour hot jam immediately into hot, sterile, canning jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe jar rims and adjust lids. Place jars in simmering water in canner and add boiling water to cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Place lid on canner and bring water to a gentle, steady boil. Process 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1,000 feet. Add 5 minutes processing time for altitudes between 1,001–3,000 feet; add 10 minutes for altitudes between 3,001–6,000 feet. After processing, remove jars and set them upright on a towel to cool for 12 to 24 hours. Store jars in a cool, dry, dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening. Yield: 6 half-pint jars.

 Source: Ball® Fruit Jell No Sugar Needed Pectin directions.

FREEZING STRAWBERRIES:

Select fully ripe, firm berries with a deep red color. Do not use strawberries that are soft, bruised, shriveled, mushy or moldy. Wash strawberries gently immediately before freezing; remove caps. Adding sugar to fresh strawberries before freezing helps them to retain their texture and flavor.

  • Sugar Pack: Add ¾ cup sugar to 4 cups (1⅓ pounds) whole, sliced or crushed strawberries and mix thoroughly. Stir until most of the sugar is dissolved or let stand for 15 minutes. Place in containers; leave ½-inch headspace for pints and 1-inch headspace for quarts.
  • Syrup Pack: To prepare syrup, dissolve 4 cups sugar in 4 cups water. Less sugar may be used, but the strawberries may not retain their texture as well. Put berries in freezer containers and cover with cold syrup. Leave ½-inch headspace for pint containers, 1-inch headspace for quarts. Put a small piece of crumpled, water-resistant wrapping material on top to keep fruit under syrup.

Source:

For the original sources of this information and more, see the following:

HGIC 3537 Strawberry Basics and HGIC 3224 Strawberry Jam

  • E.L. Andress and J.A. Harrison. 2006. So Easy to Preserve. Cooperative Extension/The University of Georgia. “Jellied products”, Pp. 187-237.