Nut and Bolts:

Strawberry Jam with liquid pectin is a jam that I make every year.  My husband's favorite sandwich is peanut butter and jelly. He likes his jam thick like the ones you get at the supermarket. So if people in your mess are looking for that type of jam, this recipe is for you! This recipe is the closest that I have found to commercially prepared jam.

My Thoughts on Strawberry Jam with liquid pectin:

1. There is a lot of sugar in the recipe. Unfortunately, you cannot cut it. If you want a jam with less sugar, I would recommend a recipe that is made for less sugar.  There are many to choose from, Ball or NCFHP sites.

2. Liquid pectin can be hard to find and expensive. So I tend to buy a lot when it is on sale.

3. Check the expiration date on the pectin to make sure it has not expired. Unfortunately, once the pectin has expired, it will not set as well.

4. Canning risk factor Low. This is a Ball recipe.

5. This recipe yields about eight half-pint jars or four-pint jars.

Method:

Before you begin the recipe, prepare your canning equipment and your kitchen. See Canning 101 and Canning 102 for more tips for your mess. 

Besides canning equipment, you will need 3 ¾ cups of hulled and crushed strawberries, 4 tablespoons of lemon juice, 7 cups of granulated sugar, and 1 (3oz/85mL) pouch of liquid pectin.

Start by hulling and cutting the berries in quarters and placing them in the four-cup measuring pitcher. When there is about a cup of berries in the measuring cup, crush them using a potato masher. After that, use the one cup measuring cup to measure out ¾ of a cup of the mashed strawberries and set aside. Continue adding berries cut in quarters to the four-cup measuring pitcher until there is about a cup of strawberries. Then, mash the berries. Then, add another ½ cup of berries to the already mashed berries and then crush all the berries again. Continue this process until you have three cups of mashed berries. Add the 3/4 cup of strawberries to other strawberries and set it aside. Then measure out the seven cups of sugar in a bowl and set it aside. Next, measure out four tablespoons of bottled lemon juice into a small bowl and set it aside.

Important tip: It is essential to use bottled lemon juice in recipes that do not say freshly squeezed lemon juice. This is because fresh lemon juice’s PH level can be slightly different and can affect the overall safety of the canned product.

Then get the pouch of liquid pectin and place it in a tall drinking glass so that it stands straight up, and then cut the top off the pouch so that it is ready to use.

Important tip: With liquid pectin, it is essential to store it upright to be ready for use. A tall drinking glass is perfect for keeping it upright once cut. Jam cooks fast, and you have to be ready to add the pectin at the right time.

In a large saucepan, add the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Then give it a quick stir making sure the sugar is evenly distributed throughout the strawberries. Then, heat the jam over medium-high heat and stir constantly. Jam cooks fast but can feel like it takes forever, so just keep stirring. Then when it comes to a boil that cannot be stirred down, stir in the liquid pectin. Let it boil hard while stirring it for one minute.

Important tip: Making jam is about getting sugar up to a high temperature or a hard boil. The best way for you to know that it is at a hard boil is when it looks like the jam will almost boil over. Also, this is a super-hot liquid, so wearing oven mitts while making this jam is recommended.

After a minute of stirring, turn off the heat, stir it, and then skim off the foam. Next, fill the jar and leave ¼ inch of headspace. Place the lids and rings on the jars and process them in a boiling water canner.  Bring your covered canner to a boil and then process them for 10 minutes. After the processing time is done, turn the heat off the canner and remove the cover.  Let the jars rest in the canner for five minutes. Then remove the jars to a towel or cooling rack and leave them untouched for 12 hours.

Final Thoughts on Strawberry Jam with liquid pectin:

This is a great recipe for a beginning canner. It is super easy and quick to make. I like it with yogurt or on scones, so try it in your mess! It is excellent on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.