Recipe: Daddy’s No Pectin Strawberry Jam

Ever since I was a little girl I loved seeing bags of frozen berries defrosting in the fridge. I knew what was coming that evening…jam making with my daddy! Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, Grape, Peach…we have made it all! Growing up Daddy would always use pectin in his jam making. It wasn’t until I was out on my own that I decided to experiment with my own jam making in my own house. That is when I came across the book The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves. Every recipe used simply fruit, sugar, lemon and a candy thermometer to make the jam. The rest of the recipes used the same techniques as my dad’s pectin recipes. I had to try it!

Well I started trying the recipes and after I made the Strawberry Jam recipe I was hooked. For Father’s Day I ended up giving my dad a copy of the book (personalized with little notes throughout). He was skeptical at first but since his daughter ranted and raved about the finished product he gave in and tried it. He was soon hooked and now both our households make pectin free jam.

This weekend I had the privilege of being at my parent’s house. And defrosting in the fridge were strawberries. Yay! Time to make jam! I hope you try this and enjoy all the goodness of strawberries, sugar and lemon juice (which is needed to help pull out some of the natural pectin in the fruit to help your jam gel properly).

No Pectin Strawberry Jam

Printable Recipe

inspired by The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and other Sweet Preserves book

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes plus 10 minute water bath

Ingredients:3 pounds strawberries fresh or frozen (defrost then weigh)

5 T lemon juice

4 1/2 cups sugar

Instructions:

1. Prepare your water bath in a canning pot. Add your empty glass jars (approximately 6 half pint jars) with no lids and fill the pot with water. Bring to a boil with lid on. In a small sauce pan, add your lids and rings to boiling water. You can have these items simmering while you are making your jam.

2. In a large sauce pan mash together the strawberries and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook until strawberries are tender.

3. Slowly add the sugar. Over medium heat stir until the sugar is dissolved. Turn the heat up to medium high and boil the jam stirring very often at the beginning and then consistently as you get closer to finished temperature. You can skim off the pink foam if you want but we always keep it in the jam. Boil jam until a thermometer reads 218 – 222 degrees (the closer to 218, the softer your finished jam will be; the closer to 222, the thicker it will be). I usually aim for 220 degrees.

4. Ladle your jam into the hot jars and add the lid and rings. Careful…it is all hot! Return the filled jars to your canning pot. Cover and bring water back to a boil and start your timer and boil for 10 minutes..

5. Remove jars and set on a heatproof surface where they will remain untouched for 12-24 hours. I put my jars right side up and cover with a dish towel. After they have rested for at least 12 hours, check to make sure all lids have popped down before storing. If any haven’t set just store them in the refrigerator and use soon..

Helpful Hints:

It is important to weigh the strawberries for this recipe. A kitchen scale is a handy tool to have around

With Love, Jennifer

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