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Strawberry Jam

From BIG MILL BED AND BREAKFAST

Directions

Ingredients

4 pints ripe, very fresh strawberries (fresher is better).

7 cups sugar

½ teaspoon butter, optional (to reduce foaming)

1 pouch liquid pectin like Certo (make sure you check the expiration date)

 

Supplies

8 half-pint jars

8 new flat jar lids. And you will need 8 rings, but they don’t need to be new.

Hot water bath canner

 

Step-by-step

Gently wash the berries. Remove the hulls and chop the berries into large chunks. Place half of these chopped berries into another bowl and mash them using a potato masher or wooden spoon, leaving the other berries in large chunks. You will need 4 cups of chopped and mashed berries. I like to leave some big pieces of berries in my jam.

Measure 7 cups of sugar into a separate bowl. Jam requires exact measuring.

Put the berries into a large pot (6-8 quart size or larger.) Stir in sugar and butter. On high heat bring this mixture to a serious, full rolling boil; a boil that cannot be stirred down. Quickly add the liquid pectin and return to a full rolling boil. Stir this often.

Boil for EXACTLY one minute. I count one-one thousand, two-one thousand, etc. Don’t answer the doorbell or the phone.  Pay attention or else all your hard work could fail. (The voice of experience is speaking.)

Remove from heat and skim off any foam. You can eat this, so save it.

Ladle the jam into sterilized jars, filling to 1/8 inch of the top. Using a damp, clean cloth wipe the rim and the threads of the jar. Seal with new, sterilized jar lids.

Process the jars in a hot-water bath for five minutes. (Check out Inn Cuisine – The Bountiful Kitchen to see the Big Mill article on Strawberry Jam and canning directions).

 

Yield

8 half-pints plus a wee bit for tasting

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