Strawberry Jam
Recipe by Sarah Page Kyrcz

Ingredients

6 cups coarsely chopped strawberries
4 cups sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon butter (optional)
1⁄2 teaspoon butter (optional)
1.75 oz. low-sugar powdered fruit pectin (1 box)
Jam jars
 

Method

Wash and remove the stems from the strawberries and coarsely chop. Fill a large pan with water, set the jars in the water and bring to a boil. Let the jars sit in the slowly boiling water until they are needed. Fill a shallow saucepan with water, place the lids and screw tops in the pan and bring to a boil. Let this simmer until needed.

Measure the exact amount of strawberries into a 6 or 8-quart saucepan. Optional: Stir in butter (to cut down on foaming). Measure the exact amount of sugar into a separate bowl.

Mix 1⁄4 cup of the measured sugar with 1 box of low sugar powered fruit pectin. Stir this into fruit mixture and bring to a complete rolling boil (a boil that does not stop when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. When it has come to a complete boil, add remaining sugar quickly. Return to a full rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Stirring during process is important to avoid burning fruit.

Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

Ladle quickly into prepared jars. Fill to within 1/8 inch of the top of the jar. Wipe the jar rims and threads clean of any jam. Cover the jars with lids and screw bands. Place the jars upside down on an elevated rack for 5 minutes. Place the jars right side up to cool. As the jars cool you will hear a POP as the jars seal.

You can check the sealing process by pressing down on the middle of the lid with your nger. If the lid springs back, it is not sealed. Cooling times varies, so patience is required! If jars do not seal they should be refrigerated. Store the sealed jam in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Refrigerate open jars for up to 3 weeks.