How to Preserve Strawberry Jam

Use strawberries in homemade jam.

Preserve the ripe taste of strawberries in jam you can enjoy year-round. Unlike jelly, which is made from fruit juice, jam contains bits of the crushed strawberries. These small bites of strawberry add texture and weight to the jam, making it suitable for not just toast but as a spread on sandwiches. When properly preserved, the jam remains good for a year or more. Due to the high level of sugar in the jam, canning with a boiling water water bath is enough to prevent bacterial growth in the stored jam.

Things You'll Need

• Knife
• Strawberries
• Bowl
• Potato masher
• Pot
• Sugar
• Canning jars
• Clean cloth
• Lids and rings
• Jar lifter

Instructions

1. Cut off the stem and leaves from 2 quarts of strawberries. Rinse the strawberries in cool water to remove any dirt.

2. Place the strawberries in a bowl. Crush them with a potato masher or a pastry blender until there are no pieces larger than a 1/2-inch cube.

3. Pour the crushed strawberries into a large pot. Stir in 6 cups of sugar.

4. Bring the strawberries to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Simmer for an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the strawberry mixture thickens.

5. Pour the jam into hot, sterilized 1 pint canning jars. Leave 1/4 inch of space between the top of the jam and the rim of the jar.

6. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean cloth. Set a canning lid on top the jar and secure it in place with a canning lid ring.

7. Set the jars in a pot of boiling water. Boil for five minutes at altitudes of 1,000 feet or lower. Add an additional minute to the boiling time for each 1,000 additional feet of altitude, advises Clemson University Extension.

8. Lift the jars from the boiling water with a canning jar lifter. Set them in a draft-free area to cool for 24 hours.

Tips & Warnings

• Add pectin, available at grocery stores, to the strawberry mixture to cut down on cooking time.

• Refrigerate the jam once you have opened the jar.

References

• Clemson Cooperative Extension: Strawberry Jam
• Maryland Cooperative Extension: Let's Preserve Strawberries