Strawberry jams may be either freezer jams, generally using uncooked berries, or traditional cooked jams. Freezer jams using uncooked berries have a lovely fresh taste, but don’t keep as long.
Freezer Strawberry Jam
(a standard recipe, from many sources)
2 cups washed, crushed strawberries (start with about 1 qt whole berries)
4 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 box powdered fruit pectin (1 3/4 oz.)
Place crushed berries into a large bowl. Add the sugar to the fruit, mix well, and let stand for 10 minutes. Mix water and pectin in a small saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from meat and stir the pectin into the fruit. Continue stirring for 3 minutes. Ladel quickly into serilized freezable jars, leaving � inch of headroom. Seal immediately with sterilized tight-fitting lids. Let jars stand at room temperature until the jam is set. Freeze. Makes 5-6 8-ounce jars.
Sugarless Strawberry Freezer Jam
Good for diabetics.
1 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 Tbsp. cold water
3 cups washed and hulled fresh strawberries, mashed
1 1/2 Tbsp. liquid sweetener
1/4 tsp. ascorbic acid powder
Red food coloring if desired
In a cup, soften gelatin with water and set aside. Combine mashed strawberries and sweetener in a medium saucepan. Place over high heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add softened gelatin. Return to heat and continue to cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Blend in ascorbic acid powder and food coloring. Pour into freezer containers. Cover. Store in refrigerator or freezer.
From “Strawberry Eats & Treats” a cookbook by the North American Strawberry Growers Association, www.nasga.org.
Strawberry Jam Advice
From The Vollmer Farm, in Bunn, NC
People always ask about jam recipes, and although we’d love to elaborate on an age-old, handed-down family recipe, we can’t. Everyone we know uses the recipes on the inside of the Sure-Jell box. We can, however, give you a few critical tips:
- You can use either regular Sure-Jell or Sure-Jell Light for strawberry jam. Both can be found in the supermarket. We like to use Sure-Jell Light. It uses much less sugar and the jam is equally as good.
- Check the expiration date on the Sure-Jell box. Do not purchase if dated the same year you are making the jam, or you waste a lot of time for nothing.
- A “rolling boil” means really bubbling. Juice is flying everywhere. Wear your apron!
- Follow the directions precisely.
Jean’s Strawberry Jam
This recipe for a cooked freezer jam, from Jean Copeland of Jean’s Berry Patch in Apex, NC, uses no pectin products.
4 cups strawberries, hulled
4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Mix the berries and 2 cups of the sugar in a large sauce pan. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes, continuing to stir. Add the remaining 2 cups of sugar. Return to boiling and stir while the mixture boils for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice. Pour int a large bowl and skim the top. Stir frequently, skimming the top. Cover the bowl and let stand overnight. Pour into jars, cover with lids, and freeze. Makes 2-3 pints. Store this jam in the freezer until ready to use. After opening, it keeps for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator.
Traditional Strawberry Jam (cooked)
5 cups crushed berries (start with 2 qts. whole berries)
7 cups sugar
1 box powdered fruit pectin
Stir powdered pectin into the berries. Bring berries and pectin to a boil and add sugar all at once. Again, bring the mixture to a boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and fill jars.
Old Fashioned Whole Berry Preserves
This recipe comes from Rudd’s Farm, in Greensboro, NC.
6 cups fresh small fully ripe whole strawberries, washed and hulled
Boiling water to cover strawberries
1/2 cup lemon juice
6 cups sugar, divided
In a large saucepan, cover berries with boiling water; let stand 3 minutes to soften. Drain water and discard. Combine berries and 3 cups of the sugar in a 6 to 8 quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; continue to boil slowly on medium heat 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Add remaining 3 cups sugar and lemon juice. Boil 10 minutes more, stirring constantly. Using a candy thermometer, bring to the gelling stage of 220-225 degrees. Remove from heat. Stir and skim off foam with metal spoon for 2 minutes. Pour jam into shallow baking dish to cool completely. When cold, put in sterilized jars and freeze or process.
If your jam doesn’t jam:
Don’t despair! It will still be delicious. Use it as a sauce for pancakes, waffles, yogurt, ice cream, pound cake, etc.
