I made 135 jars of jam this past weekend, and now I have the scent of strawberries all over me, but I'm not complaining.
I was helping my friend make favors for her July wedding with 50 pounds of fresh strawberries from a local farm in Petaluma. I thought I'd share our process with you, for those of you who have flirted with making jam but aren't sure where to start.
Start with your fruit!
(picture taken with my brand new Canon Rebel. I'm getting fancy, y'all!)
And all your jars. Be sure to sanitize the jars (and lids) in either a dishwasher or submerging them for 5 minutes in boiling water. They must be fully dry before placing the jam in them.
Wash and slice up all your strawberries
Place them in a stockpot, and mash them all up. Add your sugar and lemon juice, and bring to a slow boil. If you choose to use pectin, add that in and boil for another minute before taking the jam off heat. Scrape any excess foam off the top of the mixture.
Using a canning funnel, spoon the jam mixture into each jar.
Be sure to wipe the top of each jar to be sure there won't be any gaps or bubbles once you seal the jar.
Cover the jars tightly, and submerge them in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. This will seal them.
You'll know they are sealing if you push down on the top and it doesn't move.
Place jam in a cool, dark place to allow the jam to set.
Basic Jam Recipe:
1/8 cups lemon juice
1 pound fruit
4 cups sugar
1 tbsp pectin