If you have had trouble getting your strawberry jam to set, try this recipe!
Prep Time40 minutesmins
Cook Time20 minutesmins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Jam, Strawberry
Servings: 68 oz jars
Ingredients
Jam with Original Sure-Jell
4 cupsmashed or cut up strawberries
2tablespoonsbottled lemon juice
4 cupssugar
1/3cuppectin (Original Sure-Jell, yellow box)
Instructions
Wash and remove strawberry stems.
Mash strawberries with potato masher or use food processor to cut up strawberries, depending on the texture you want. Just pulse 3-4 times to avoid getting the berries too small.
Place 4 cups of strawberries in a large pot, add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Add the 4 cups of sugar (measure carefully) and then return to a boil. Finally, add the pectin and boil the mixture hard for 1 minute. Time carefully - too little or too much time will result in the jam not setting.
Check the set of the jam. After finishing the final boil, remove the pot from the heat, remove a teaspoon or so of the jam mixture and put it in a small dish. Leave it alone for a few minutes while you get your jars ready. When you return, the jam in the dish will be set or not. If the jam is not set, just reboil it and add a little more lemon juice and pectin. My batch was too soft, so I added 3/4 tablespoon of bottled lemon juice and 3 tablespoons pectin and brought mixture to a boil - then checked the set again.
To keep your jam clear and pretty, remove the foam that is on top.
Clean and dry jars, Pour hot water, not boiling, over lids and let set.
Stir jam and using a funnel, fill jars, leaving a 1/2 headspace.
Wipe off top edges of jars; immediately cover with lids.
Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours, or until set. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using.
If using the Sure-Jell's low-sugar pectin (pink box), use 4 cups of fruit, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 cups of sugar and 1 box of pectin. Same technique - boil strawberries first,with the lemon juice, add sugar boil again, then add the pectin and boil for one minute. Test. Fill jars. Wipe off top, cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours, or until set. Store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using.
If using Certo (liquid pectin): Put 1 3/4 cup crushed or cut up strawberries in a large bowl. Stir in 4 cups of sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mix 1 container of Certo with 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice in a small bowl. Add to strawberry mixture and stir 3-4 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Fill jars and let set for 24 hours. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks or freeze up to 1 year. I would not recommend this method, jam is too grainy for me.
Notes
The original Sure-Jell jam recipe will work for most fruits - 4 cups fruit, 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice, 4 cups of sugar and 1/3 cup or 1 box pectin. Follow directions above.