If you're looking for a modern day, healthy, sugar-free strawberry jam recipe - this is not the one for you. Welcome to a perfectly unhealthy, full of actual sugar, old-fashioned Certo strawberry jam recipe.
This year I switched from Charlotte strawberries to Audrey strawberries which means I'll have to wait another year to have enough strawberries to make strawberry jam from my own berries.
I got some local strawberries to make my jam though because I can't go through a year without strawberry jam. My preferred way to eat it being on a spoon straight out of the jar with a chaser spoon of plain Greek yogurt.
This is this year's batch.
Let's make jam! This is for those who have never made jam, so forgive me for oversimplifying if you are a jam aficionado. This post is for people who want to learn how to make strawberry jam.
You're going to need several of these plus the dirty garden fingernails.
Oh you need to know exactly how many? Seems awfully demanding to me but O.K. I'll play that game. Here's the actual strawberry jam ingredient list complete with accompanying photos and instructions.
How to Make Strawberry Jam
(enough to make 7 or 8, 500 ml. jam jars)
1. Gather your ingredients.
The little green basket of strawberries is 1 quart. You'll need 2 of those to make this recipe.
2. Hull and mash your berries.
3. Sterilize and heat your jars.
It's important that your jars are clean and sterile so even if you just bought them, wash them in the dishwasher first on hot.
Set your oven to 210 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it's heated up stick your mason jars in the oven. You need hot jars for the jam to seal properly.
4. Pour your berries into a heavy bottomed pot and add ¼ cup of lemon juice, then 1 cup of sugar. Stir. Let the sugar, berries & lemon juice sit for 15 minutes.
5. Prepare for sugar shock. Add the remaining 6 cups of sugar to the pot. Stir to incorporate then bring the mixture to a vigorous boil. Stir for one minute then remove from heat. Add liquid pectin and stir.
6. Stir and skim the jam for 5 minutes. If you skip this step, your strawberry's won't evenly incorporate into the jam.
Your jam is now made. From here on in it's just a matter of getting it into a jar.
7. Grab a hot jar from the oven. At this point you need to work quickly so your jars, jam and seals stay hot. I leave my jam on the stove on low to keep it hot, but not cooking
8. Fill the jars using a ladle and a funnel.
9. Wipe the jar rim then place seal on top.
10. Set your jam aside and wait to hear the rims "pop".
The concave dimple on the rims will suck in and become convex when the jars have sealed. For reasons known only to the most mystical of jam makers, the odd jar won't seal. It just won't.
There could be a small chip or irregularity on the rim, or maybe the jam fairy is just angry at you. Whatever the cause, you can just stick this unsealed jam jar(s) in the fridge. It'll be the the first jar you eat. So no need to worry or cry. Or call the Certo hotline.
Classic Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 2 quarts strawberries once mashed they need to equal 4 cups
- 7 cups sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice juice of 1 mammoth lemon
- 1 pouch Liquid Pectin cannot substitute with powdered pectin
- 8 mason jars
- Funnel
- 8 seals
- 8 rings
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients.
- Sterilize and heat your jars. Wash & dry them then stick them in an oven at 210 F to heat up.
- Hull your berries by removing the stem and white pithy part.
- Mash your berries. If you like blobs of berries in your jam, make sure you don't overmash them.
- Pour your mashed berries into a heavy bottomed pot.
- Add ¼ cup lemon juice, then 1 cup of sugar. Stir.
- Let the sugar, berries and lemon juice sit for 15 minutes.
- Add the remaining 6 cups of sugar.
- Stir the sugar to incorporate it, then bring to a boil stirring constantly. Once you get to a vigorous boil, stir for one minute then remove from heat.
- Add liquid pectin and stir.
- Stir and skim the froth off of the jam for 5 minutes.
- Grab a hot jar from the oven. At this point you need to work quickly so your jars, jam and seals stay hot. I leave my jam on the stove on low which keeps it hot without further cooking it.
- Fill the jars using a ladle and a funnel.
- Wipe the jar rim clean with a damp paper towel or cloth then place a seal on top. Screw a ring on the jar, finger tightening only. Screwing on your lid too tightly will prevent a proper seal from forming.
- Set your jam aside and wait to hear the rims “pop”
Notes
- 1 Tablespoon = 23 calories.
- It's very important to wipe the rim of your jar after filling it. If you don't, and even the slightest residue is left on the glass your jar won't seal.
- This recipe comes from Certo (the makers of liquid pectin). It does not call for the jam to be processed in a boiling water bath. However, over the years I've found I get a much stronger seal if I process the filled jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
- To perform a boiling water bath simply submerge your filled and sealed jars into a pot filled with boiling water. Do this immediately after you fill the jars. The water needs to cover the jars by a couple of inches. Time your 10 minutes from the moment the water comes back to the boil.
Nutrition
I'd like to end things with a personal story. Years ago one of my sisters did a very mean thing. The sort of thing only a sister would do. So now, I am going to do my own very mean thing. I'm going to tell the whole world about her mean thing.
My sister, myself and my cousin were in my mother's kitchen. We were all sitting around a bowl of strawberries when I spotted it. The perfect strawberry. I don't mean a pretty good one, or an O.K., one. I mean THE perfect strawberry; the one strawberry marketers around the world have been searching for their whole lives.
I picked the strawberry up with the reverence it deserved. I admired it from every angle and showed it to my relatives. As I held it up to the light I proclaimed it had a higher purpose in life than to be shoved into one of our mouths that instant. I had big plans for this berry. Maybe a decorative accent on a pie, or a topper on the perfect strawberry shortcake. The possibilities were endless as I stared at that jewel of a berry sparkling like a glistening ruby.
Then my stupid sister grabbed it out of my hand and shoved it in her mouth and laughed hysterically.
Of course I killed her right there and then and my sister is now dead. Metaphorically speaking anyway, she is dead to me. Well, really only when I think of this story is she dead to me. When I need her help or to borrow something she's very much alive.
You think that's a sad story? Wait till I tell you about the time I had to call the Certo jam hotline. What a fiasco that was.
If you're feeling a bit woozy at the moment, you may have hysterical sugar coma syndrome. Don't fret. Once you make and eat the jam that'll go away and you'll slip easily into an actual sugar coma.
Thanks Karen!
You bet. :) Lemme know if you have any other questions. ~ karen!
Karen,
I just made these, but was wondering how long does it take for the "pop"?
Karen - It should take anywhere from half an hour to an hour. Once the jar cools down a bit. ~ karen
Your sister's got berries. That jam looks delicious.
I just came across your blog today through Design Sponge too and have spent far too much of my work time this afternoon reading. It's fantastic!
I've been jamming for a few years now and have some tips.
1. If you're really lazy/cheap (as I am) you can actually eliminate the pectin altogether on berries or stone fruits. You might need to leave it boiling on the stove top a little longer, but you just wait and keep stirring every once and it'll thicken right up. I think that with pectin it comes out a little more jelly, without it's a little more preserves.
2. To check consistency, put a glass plate in the freezer. When you think your jam is ready, put a little dollup on the plate and put it back in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Take it out. That's the consistency it will be when it cools. If it's not to your liking, keep on cooking.
I've found the following rough guide always seems to work no matter what fruit I use:
4 cups chopped fruit
4 cups sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Thanks, Kate. Welcome to the site! I'm glad you like it. - Karen
The jam looks so ...jammy and beautiful with the sunlight shining through it like that, Karen! And thanks for leaving that blob of jam on the counter while you took pictures, because nobody cooks anything without making a mess.
But even more important, I had scars for years from MY mean sister! She was four years younger-- That automatically made me the bad guy when I pounded her.
One day my mom left us in the car while she ran into the grocery store (I know, I know, but this was a small town in the '60s). Devil Sister found one of those teensy pencils that used to come with ads for magazine subscriptions. So of course, she clenched it in her chubby fist, cackled madly, and jammed it into the top of my head. I swear, I was just sitting there...
Chaos ensued. I screamed like a stuck pig because, well, I sort of was. I could barely wait for Mom to come out, see all the blood in my hair, and rain her patented black fury on her.
Which she probably did. But what I remember more was that she immediately saught medical care. At the veterinarian. Who happened to be my father, and was incredibly, disappointingly unsympathic (sniffle).
It's a miracle I'm still here to read your blog, which is the only one worth checking in on regularly, IMHO.
Well that was a damn good story Pam'a! Love it. Any store that ends with a trip to the vet is a good one. Unless it's my cat. Then it isn't good at all, It's sad and usually costly. Thanks for the blog compliments! Appreciate it! - karen
You're blog is friggin' great! So great, in fact, that I've started reading it at work... all the time. Crap, boss is coming! Minimizing...
Thanks Stephanie! I appreciate it. Even I think it's pretty friggin' great! Oooo. That sounds obnoxious doesn't it? I DO like it though ... so I'm so happy there are other people who like it too. Thanks again! - karen
Hi!!!
I've just found your blog, (on Design*Sponge) and I like it a lot!!
You're a very creative woman!
Greetings from Italy!
Hi Laura! Greetings from Canada! I'm glad you like the blog.
Funny to the bone ..how do i make just ONE bottle of JAM - ok ok maybe 2....what changes do i make..
Jimmy. Please prepare yourself for the bad news. Maybe get a cookie or something. O.K. Ready? You can't make one jar of jam. Jam recipes can't be cut in half or doubled. You have to make them as is. I'm not sure why but it's the way the jam God's have made it. Having said that, making 7 jars isn't much more time consuming than making 1 or 2 jars. You'd be silly to make 1 or 2 in fact. Plus if you seal the jars properly like I've shown you the jam will last for ages. Professionals tell you a year but I'm sure they'd last a couple of years. You know your seal is good if when you open the jar you need a knife to slip under the seal to pop it off because the pressure is so great you can't do it with your fingers. I think you should make 7 jars of jam Jimmy.
I didn't know until today how desperately I need to make strawberry jam. It has nothing to do with prego hormones, I'm sure. I find myself *actually* missing making jam at home with my Mom... which is funny, because at the time I hated it and whined and wished I could be doing anything else...
Ain't it always the way? - karen
I just finished my batch of jam. :D During the "stir constantly until boiling vigorously" I remembered why I hated and whined... now that my attention span is longer than the end of my pinky nail, I can cope. ;)
-and 'cause I'm too lazy to dig it up and right on the actual antojito post, I made a bunch of antojito's for a crowd. I had to tune the heat down (a real crime) because my heat tolerance seems to be higher than most Alberta born and raised around me, but they were still a huge hit. So your suffering was definitely worth it. In fact, if I may say so, I may have secured my sister a wedding ring. Her boyfriend said they had to be friends with me forever, because then I could make him antojito's. (Okay, I may not have *quite* sealed the deal, due to her charm and good looks, but I'll take what credit I'm due...) haha...
Karen,
I just found your website and have devoted hours to slavishly reading through past posts. You are a time sucker.
Anyhoo, I just made jam last week with a friend, we used the recipe listed at this website for strawberry-pineapple jam (my favorite)and it was amazing: http://www.canadianliving.com/food/strawberry_pineapple_jam.php
They actually make a pectin you can use that requires little to no sugar to be added to your jam (hence only 4 cups of sugar added in this recipe). They also have you boil your jam in a water bath for 5 minutes after it's cooked - maybe this ensure that your jars will pop in the future?
Hi Jessica! Sorry for the time suck. :) Yes, giving your jam a water bath is very popular, but since I made 15 jars of jam, 1 or 2 not sealing isn't uncommon. I'm dedicated and devoted to finding the easiest, fastest, cheapest etc. etc. way to do things. I find keeping the bottles in the oven and boiling the rims is the best use of my time. So I can visit the time sucking blogs I enjoy. :) By the way I am totally open to gifts in the form of jams or jellies or any food item really.
A water bath is actually recommended because it's safer than the oven method that you describe. The jars seal better because air is expelled during processing and the heat kills some of the bacteria that might still be wandering around in your jars.
Also when a jar breaks it tends to be in a vat of water rather than in your oven or on your feet...
Hi Cat! Thanks. Yes, I know that technically the water bath is the preferred method, but my mother used the oven method so that's what I use! It's 10 times easier and other than the occasional unsealed jar, it's smooth sailing.
I once did a very mean thing to my little brother about 15 years ago, too (your sister and I must have been on the same brain wave): My mother had baked THE perfect cowboy cookies, all salty and chocolaty and oatmealy. Cowboy cookies were my brother's favorite, but that didn't stop me from methodically picking up each one and slowly licking the top and bottom and all around the sides and then putting them back in the pan. He has a weird thing about spit, so it really killed his soul that I did that to him and he never ate another cowboy cookie again.
Years later, he paid me back by staying skinny while I proceeded to, um, not.
On a related note, that jam looks AWESOME. I don't care how it tastes. It's how it looks that really matters.
So is that what you do when you leave half your favourite body glove bathing suit on a cruise ship? At least you get to fondly look at your potholder and remember the neon 80's.
Liar! I did not leave it on the cruise ship .. it was scoffed by some weirdo at the ramshakle airport. Weirdo.
Speaking of which...when are you going to post on the Art of Winning the Cruise Ship Bikini Contest by Looking Angry and Flexing Your Muscles?...c'mon....we're waiting!
Hi Heidi!!!! Everyone ... Heidi is the sister of one of my best friends Andrea. Please make her feel welcome. Years ago I went on a cruise with their family. I completely forgot about that bikini contest. Yes. It is true. I was in a bikini contest. You have never seen anyone so unimpressed to be in a bikini contest. Um ... bikini contests aren't "me". I went on stage and flexed my muscles, looked disgusted to be there and skulked off. I won. Go figure. Welcome Heidi!
haha, that sounds so much like my sister and me. Good times......I mean, THEN it sucked but good now.
Karen,
My sister ruined my barbies!
I had one special doll who's hair would grow when you gently pulled the pony tail & it seems she couldn't make it go back. 'Gee, maybe she won't notice I was in her stuff if I cut it off??'
She also poured an entire bottle of Neet hair remover on my head but that's another story...it was more evidence to back up my theory that she was evil and should be destroyed!
Karen, can I just tell you how much I look forward to reading your new posts??? They are my daily addiction (or whenever you post them) and start my day off as it should -- with lots of laughs and big smiles. I love ya, kid.
Sherry! Thanks so much. It makes me very happy to hear you say that. I can't cure cancer or fix the oil spill. But I can make people laugh ... and that's somethin'. :)
If a jar seems like it might not be sealing, you can turn it upside down or put a thick towel on top to keep the heat in a little longer in hopes it will come around.
I will admit that I was the mean sister. When I think back to my childhood, I don't know why my sisters didn't gang up on me and kill me. They're still wondering, too.
I've never tried this, but I read a strawberry jam recipe yesterday that used butter in the final step to keep it from foaming. I have never tried this, but I think I might go get some strawberries so I can try it.
Hi Langela! Thanks for the tip. I wish I'd had it 2 days ago when 2 of my jars didn't seal! Actually 4 didn''t want to seal so I shoved them in the oven at 210 until they warmed up quite a bit. I took them out and 2 sealed almost immediately while 2 just decided they were not under any circumstances going to seal. Could have tried the towel trick. Instead I will try the eating trick.
Just a question since you can see them all now. Are the ones that didn't seal maybe a little less filled than the others? I always wonder, but not until I have put them all away and don't know which ones struggled.
No, they seem to be the same. I always have 1 or 2 that don't seal. Plus I did a double batch (you can't double the recipe, you have to do 2 separate batches) so 1 for each batch is about right for me with jam! :) My tomatoes in the fall seem to have a better sealing ratio.
The skimmed foam is Cook's Perk and contains no calories if eaten immediately.
I once made a compote (less sugar) from a tray of white peaches and leftover redcurrants (we were camping and didn't have a fridge), and it was AWESOME! got eaten within the holiday and I was crowned Queen of the Campsite.
I. was. the. mean. sister. too... I love her now, and she has forgiven me.
O.K. I should probably clarify before she kills me, that this is the only mean thing I can remember my sister (the painter) doing. Other than that time she she painted my whole dining room, front hall and living room and made me curtains as a surprise birthday present. I mean honestly. What's wrong with a good old fashioned card and a phone call?
My sister once spat chewing gum in my hair giving rise to my childhood nickname of "tufty". Traumatic.
That jam looks yummity. Ugh, hungry.
PFtttttt!! Oh that's hilarious. Tufty. I shall remember that for a later date.
Karen, you're hilarious in your outlook and unique perspective - thanks for sharing with us!
Does this recipe work with blueberries (ie: 4 cups of mashed berries?) and do you know if your jam is kind of the thickish kind (I find the store bought kind is firm) or is its alittle runnier?
ps: you have a very mean sister! :)
Thanks Helen. No m'am! NO blueberries. All fruits have different sweetnesses, acidity etc. so you can't interchange. Blueberries would be 4 1/2 cups mashed blueberries, 2 Tbsps lemon juice, 7 cups of sugar (the same) and 2 packages of liquid pectin (3 oz each). The method would be the same. - karen
Gawd sisters are meanies aren't they? My sister stole my fancy smancy artists pencils that I saved all my pocket money for & took them to school. So I hit her in the face with the serrated edge a box of Aluminium foil. :D
Oh my God! That made me laugh out loud.
omg me too! I'm out of breath. I just didn't expect that after reading the whole post from top to bottom. GREAT comment. Thank you Shannon!
Me too! Hilarious!
Loving the Art of Doing Stuff...which also makes me laugh outloud ;)
Hahah!!