Strawberry Jam

Being from a long line of jam and jelly makers I really look forward to the wonderful fresh strawberries here in southern Indiana.  About a mile down the road is WRIGHT'S BERRY FARM and they have the sweetest and most fragrant berries I have ever found.  You can pick them yourself or they will pick them for you.  So I have been making jam!!  Here is how I make strawberry jam.

Wash 4 glass pint jelly jars and 1,  1/2 pint jar.  I use Ball or Mason jars with the 2 piece screw on lids.  Always buy new flat sealing portions of the lid.  You can reuse the screw top but not the seal portion.

I wash the jars in the top rack of the dishwasher on hot and on heated dry but I cover the 2 piece lids with water and boil them. Then I turn the  heat off and leave them sitting in the hot water til I am ready to use them.

Wash, hull and quarter 2 quarts of berries.....but as I do them I quarter them into a glass measuring cup and each time I have 1 cup I dump them into a heavy medium sized bowl.  Them using my favorite 30 year old potato masher I mash the strawberries 1 cup at a time.  Then I dump the mashed berries into a large heavy bottomed kettle. Then I repeat these steps until the berries have all been processed.  You should have 5 c. mashed fruit.

Measure 7 cups of sugar into a large bowl and set aside.

I stir 1 box of Sure Jell fruit pectin and 1/2 teaspoon of butter into the fruit,  turn on the heat and bring to a full rolling boil,  and stir.  The butter helps keep the jam from foaming so much as it boils and then you have to skim off less before you fill the jars.

When this comes to a full rolling boil,  which is when it boils all over and you cannot stir it and stop it from boiling I add the sugar all at once.  It must be added all at once you cannot be gradual about this!

I keep stirring til it comes to a rolling boil a second time and then you boil it for exactly one minute.  Turn off the heat and remove from the hot burner.  Using a ladle or large spoon skim as much foam off the top of the jam as you can.  I skim it into a coffee cup or small bowl.

Fill each jar to within 1/8" of the top of the jar.  Using a clean wet cloth be sure the rims are clean of any dripped fruit.  Cap with the 2 piece lids and tighten.   I immediately stand all the jars upside down on the lids on a clean dish towel for 5 minutes.  Then I turn them right side and don't touch them again for 24 hours.  Then I check the seals.  Usually I have heard everyone of them seal but I still make sure before storing them in a cool dark place.

NOTE;  YOU WILL FIND DETAILED DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING JAMS AND JELLY IS THE SURE JELL PACKAGE AND THEY ALSO HAVE A SPECIFIC DIRECTION FOR SEALING AND PROCESSING.  I WILL SAY IT IS THE RECOMMENDED WAY.   MY WAY IS PROBABLY JUST MORE OLD FASHIONED AND NOT THE NEW AND IMPROVED!!