How to Make Easy Strawberry Jam
How to Make Easy Strawberry Jam
Here at Walnut Springs, we love jams, jellies and preserves! I like to have plenty stored up for the winter and try to make enough to last us until next year’s fruit is ready to harvest. I looked for an easy jam recipe that used less refined sugar and preferably a natural sweetener. I found this pectin that works well with a variety of sweeteners.
(Note: This is an affiliate link, meaning I get a small commission if you click and buy)This pectin also, works great for doubling, tripling or exponentially multiplying the recipe for large batches. What I really like about this recipe, besides it’s quick and easy, is that you don’t have to cook the fruit down to nothing. The jam tastes like strawberries with your preferred amount of sweetener! Now, let’s make some strawberry jam!
How to Make Easy Strawberry Jam
Here’s what you need:
Containers for the freezer jam.
1 box pectin (It has to be Pomona's brand)
4 cups mashed or chopped strawberries
¼ cup lemon or lime juice (optional)
½ to 1 cup honey or ¾ cup to 2 cups of sugar
¾ cup water – for dissolving pectin
Wash and rinse freezer containers. I, of course, prefer mason jars! (I use these for the freezer though many suggest not to. Just be sure to leave plenty of head space an inch or so for expansion when it freezes or you’ll have broken jars in the freezer. No fun!)
Chop up strawberries. You can mash them if you like a smoother jam, but we like it chunky.
Add lemon or lime juice if you want.
Measure sweetener and add to fruit. Stir well.
Boil ¾ cup of water and add 3 teaspoons of Pomona’s pectin powder. Stir until powder is thoroughly dissolved.
Add to fruit and stir until well mixed.
Add 4 teaspoons of calcium water (the calcium comes with the pectin mix, follow box directions for mixing calcium water). Stir well. Jam should jell slightly.
Fill containers to 1/2” of top (unless you love using mason jars like I do, then leave an inch of space).
Store in freezer immediately for up to a year. Keep refrigerated after thawing.
Jam lasts a couple of weeks in the refrigerator…unless you’re at my house and it may last a few days!
This recipe can be multiplied very easily for large batches or reduced for smaller batches.
Yields 5-6 cups.
