Old-Fashioned Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam
A classic old-fashioned strawberry jam made without store-bought pectin and with less sugar than commercial recipes. Uses lemon zest and juice as natural pectin sources for a bright, fruit-forward preserve by Melissa K. Norris.
Ingredients
- *8 cups rinsed, hulled, and mashed strawberries
- *3 cups sugar
- *Zest from 2 lemons
- *1/4 cup lemon juice
- *Optional: 1 medium peeled, grated apple (in place of lemon zest and juice for natural pectin)
Instructions
- 1
Wash jars and bands in hot soapy water. Place canning lids in a sauce pan, cover with water, and heat on medium-low heat. Fill a water bath canner with water and put on medium heat to begin warming.
- 2
Mash the strawberries with a potato masher, blender, or immersion blender to your desired consistency — chunky or more pureed.
- 3
Place the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest (or grated apple in place of lemon) into a large pot. Stir until well combined. Bring berries to a boil, stirring frequently to keep the sugar from scorching.
- 4
Simmer on a low boil for 15 minutes. To test the set, use the sheeting test: place a metal spoon in the freezer when you begin making your jam. After 15 minutes, use the chilled metal spoon to ladle out a spoonful of jam. Hold the spoon and watch the way the jam drips off. If it falls in little individual drops, the jam is not set yet. If it falls in big goops, it's almost there — simmer for 5 more minutes and check again. If it comes off the spoon in a sheet or barely drops at all, the jam is set — remove from heat immediately.
- 5
Remember that jam will continue to thicken as it cools.
- 6
Place jars on a dish towel. Fill jars to within 1/4 inch from the top with jam, using a canning funnel. Wipe down the rim of each jar with a clean damp towel. Place lids on, then bands, and screw down to finger tight.
- 7
Immerse jars in the water bath canner inside the canning rack, making sure water covers the tops of the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Once the water is boiling, set a timer for 10 minutes and allow jars to process.
- 8
When the time is up, turn off the heat. After 5 minutes, remove jars from the canner. Place on a towel folded in thirds in a draft-free area. Allow to cool and set overnight or for at least 12 hours. Check seals — if the center of the lid gives (flexes up and down), store in the fridge and eat soon.
- 9
If jars are sealed, wipe down with a damp cloth and store in the pantry out of direct light for up to a year. Always inspect jars before using — if the seal is broken, there is off odor, off appearance, or any signs of mold, do not eat it.