Strawberry Jam is a must-have recipe. It can be used to fill cupcakes, layered cakes, pastries, and doughnuts.
Gorgeous Strawberry Cream Cheese Danish made with Strawberry Jam.
Or, you know, you can use it on toast.
Strawberry Jam
- 36 ounces (or about 6 pints) fresh or frozen strawberries
- 4 cups sugar
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (use bottled lemon juice if canning)
When buying berries, consider buying local, in-season berries. I promise you won’t regret it.
Soak the berries in cold water with about a tablespoon of white vinegar. Swoosh them around so they get clean. Remove the stems.
If you like, you can small dice (my favorite) or run your strawberries through a food mill or food processor instead of mashing them with a potato masher.
Place everything in a large pan and crush using a potato masher. Let it sit for about 20 minutes.
Place on a burner and turn heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil but stay close by so it doesn’t burn. A flat-bottom utensil is perfect for making sure your jam can cook at a high temperature yet not burn.
Reduce heat a little if needed. Cook and stir until the temperature reaches at least 220°F up to 222°F. This will usually take about 15 minutes. If you reduce the heat too much or use less sugar, it will take longer to reach the gelling temperature. Larger batches will also take longer.
When it reaches the done temperature, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Place in a jar, top with a lid, and refrigerate. If you don’t plan to use all of it very quickly, just place the jam small jars and either can or freeze it until it’s ready to use.
For canning information, be sure to use a reputable source such as Ball or Kerr.
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