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Step 1
Choose plump, firm red berries. Once picked, a strawberry won't ripen further. Don't wash your berries until you get ready to use them because the moisture causes them to spoil more quickly.
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Step 2
Wash four or five 1/2-pint canning jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinse. Set the jars on a kitchen towel and fill them with hot water until ready to use. Place the bands and lids in a pan of water, bring them up to a boil, turn off the heat and let them sit until ready to use.
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Step 3
Hull 2 lbs. fresh strawberries. Place them in a large bowl and crush them with a potato masher. You should end up with about 4 cups of mashed berries.
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Step 4
Place the crushed berries, 4 cups of sugar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice in the saucepan. Use a large saucepan with a heavy bottom to prevent your jam from scorching.
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Step 5
Put the pan over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved.
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Step 6
Raise the heat and bring the strawberry mixture to a rolling boil, stirring frequently, until it reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
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Step 7
Empty the hot water out of your clean canning jars. Using the funnel, ladle the hot jam into each jar, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Run a knife gently down the sides of each jar to remove air pockets. Place the lids and bands on the jars and process them in a water bath for 10 minutes.
