Old Fashioned Strawberry Jam Without Pectin Food

STRAWBERRY JAM WITHOUT PECTIN

Steps:

• Wash strawberries under cold running water; drain. Remove stems and caps from strawberries. Crush strawberries one layer at a time using a potato masher. Measure 2 quarts crushed strawberries.
• Combine crushed strawberries and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook rapidly over medium-high heat to gelling point (220°F), stirring to prevent sticking. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
• Ladle hot jam into a hot jar, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Clean jar rim. Center lid on jar and adjust band to fingertip-tight. Place jar on the rack elevated over simmering water (180°F) in boiling-water canner. Repeat until all jars are filled.
• Lower the rack into simmer water. Water must cover jars by 1 inch. Adjust heat to medium-high, cover canner, and bring water to a rolling boil. Process half-pint or pint jars 15 minutes. Turn off heat and remove cover. Let jars cool 5 minutes. Remove jars from canner; do not retighten bands if loose. Cool 12 hours. Check seals. Label and store jars.

EASY LOW SUGAR NO PECTIN STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Cut the stem off the fresh fruit, being careful not to include any green bits along with the berries.
• Rinse the fruit very thoroughly. This will remove any bits of stem, and remove some of the small hair and fibers on the outside of the fruit.
• As you prepare the fruit, it's okay to use very ripe berries.
• They will taste better and make a better jam. In fact, it's better to have nearly over ripe fruit than just barely ripe.
• The berries are softer, sweeter, and have more natural sugars.
• Add the berries and mash them in batches.
• I usually mash two or three cups at a time, just to make sure I don't miss a berry and end up with an outsized chunk at the end.
• Put the fresh berries in a large, tall cooking pot and add the sugar, lemon juice, and water.
• Bring the mix to a roaring boil on high heat, stirring regularly.
• The boil needs to be strong, one that does not diminish when you stir.
• Maintain this level of boil for at least 20 minutes.
• Stir regularly and watch the heat, turning it down to medium-high heat as the jam thickens to avoid burning.
• When your jam begins to thicken and has reduced by nearly half, you can check to see if it's done.
• Total cooking time is over 30 minutes.
• When you're sure it's set, pour it into sterilized jars, or clean plastic storage containers, and let it cool on the counter.
• Be careful not to spill, as it is very hot and will give you a nasty burn.
• The hot water from the pot should be handled carefully as well.