How to Make Strawberry Jam! Low Sugar and No Packaged Pectin | Little Spoon Farm
Hi everybody welcome back to my kitchen here at little spoon farm. in today’s video I want to show you how you can make the most delicious and fresh tasting strawberry jam ever. this Jam is so smooth and velvety and it is just bursting with strawberry flavor and believe me when I say it spreads like a dream! it is so delicious on your sourdough biscuits, English muffins bagels, you are gonna love it. if you love strawberry jam ,you’re gonna love this recipe. you can store this jam in the fridge after you make it for up to 2 months or you can water bath can it. so the recipe makes the equivalent of 5 half-pint jars, you can use whatever size jar you want. if you’re going to can the jam it’s important to know that the level needs to come up to 1/4 inch of head space. if it’s below that level in the last jar that you’re filling, don’t can that jar just go ahead and stick it in the fridge, because without that proper headspace, it’s not going to seal properly and then when you put it on your shelf you’re not going to know if it’s safe to eat or not.
So you want to always start out with clean sterilized jars when you are making jam. hot liquids need to go into hot jars, so before you get everything started you want to go ahead and wash your jars in hot soapy water rinse them really well. if you are water bath canning just put them into the canner and let them simmer in some hot water while you’re making the jam that will keep them nice and hot and ready for you. if you’re not gonna can the jam, after you’ve washed your jars you can put them on to a baking sheet like this and then just put them into an oven that’s been preheated at 175 degrees F and that will actually keep the jars hot and also sterilize them for you at the same time. one more option that you can use is to put them into your dishwasher and use the sanitize setting there and that will also keep them hot and clean them at the same time. so if you’re ready to make this strawberry jam let’s go ahead and get started.
I almost forgot make sure you put a small glass plate into the freezer while you’re cooking your jam. we’re gonna take this out later and test our jam for doneness. wash three pounds of fresh strawberries remove the stems and cut into small pieces. you’ll want to make sure that three-quarters of your berries are ripe in order to get the best strawberry flavor. use your hands or a potato masher to crush the berries in a bowl. I like to use this batter bowl because it has measurements right on the side. you should have six cups of crushed strawberries when you’re done. add three cups of granulated sugar to the berries stir and let sit for one hour. this will allow the berries to release their natural juices, help to dissolve the sugar and cut down on cooking time. less cooking time means more fresh strawberry flavor. once the hour is up, peel core and grate one apple into the berry mixture. stir in two tablespoons of bottled lemon juice and remember it’s important to use bottled lemon juice when canning to ensure a safe pH level.
If you’re not water bath canning, feel free to use fresh lemon juice instead. pour the mixture into a 5 quart stockpot or larger and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. let the mixture boil until you cannot stop the jam from boiling while you stir. it’s very important to let it get to the stage before you set your timer. once it reaches a boil that can not be stirred down, set your timer for 20 minutes. the jam will foam and rise as it boils so it’s important to stir constantly and do not walk away from the stove, be very careful during this entire process. the jam will reach a temperature over 200 degrees Fahrenheit which can cause serious burns. over the course of the 20 minutes you’ll notice the jam will start to thicken. once the timer goes off, turn off the heat, remove the plate from the freezer and drop a spoonful of hot jam onto the plate. place it back into the freezer for two minutes, take the plate back out and run your finger through the jam.
If the jam stays separated it’s ready to fill your jars. if it runs back together cook the jam for another 5 minutes and test again. once you’re ready to fill your jars use a jar funnel and a ladle to fill the hot jars, screw on the lids, let cool and store in the fridge up to two months. if you’re going to preserve the jam, use a jar lifter to remove one jar from the water bath canner and place onto a heat-safe surface.
Fill the jar making sure to leave one quarter inch of headspace Debubble the jar and wipe the rim with a towel dipped in hot water or vinegar to remove any residue on the rim. food left on the rim can prevent a proper seal. place a caning lid on the jar and screw on the ring “finger tip tight”, that’s just until the point of resistance. use the jar lifter to place it back into the canner and repeat with the remaining in jars. make sure the jars are covered by one to two inches of water and bring to a boil. once it’s at a rolling boil, cover the pot and start your processing time. for altitudes one thousand feet above sea level or lower process the jars for 10 minutes.
Check out our link in the description box below for altitude adjustments. after the jars have processed, turn off the heat and remove the lid from the canner .let the jars sit in the canner for five minutes before removing them. then use a jar lifter to remove the jars and place them on a heat safe service undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. after they’ve sat remove the rings, check the seals to make sure that they are sealed.
the lid will be indented and you won’t be able to pull the lid off. wash and label your jars. you guys you are absolutely going to love this Jam. once you’ve opened this, go ahead and keep it stored in the fridge and consume it within one month. I will leave a link to the recipe in the description box below so go ahead and make sure you check that out. you can print out the recipe card and if you liked the video give us a thumbs up and subscribe for more easy recipes, so until next time, bye!.
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