Several
weeks ago, the family went strawberry picking. Not all the family was excited
about strawberry picking but the little one were very excited once they
understood what to do.
So
with the bounty of strawberries, I started this season’s first canning session.
Add
4 cups of sugar and ¼ c of lemon juice. Now you can make the jam without pectin
at this point. I added pectin because I had it on hand.
My
gorgeous Mauviel jam pot filled with strawberries filled with the jam mixture.
Bring
the jam to 220 degrees, stirring the whole time. This step takes a long time.
Remember water boils at 212 degrees so you are boiling off enough water to
raise the temperature to 220. It took me 30 minutes to get the jam up to this
temperature, on a gas range.
Now,
I keep three spoons in the freezer and when the jam reaches the 220 degrees,
take a spoon out of the freezer, put a small amount on the spoon and place back
in the freezer for two or three minutes. Then you can test if your jam is the
right consistency.
When
it is, remove from the burner. Now this next step is controversial, but I read this book and was convinced to try this method and it has worked several years for me. I place
sterilized jars in the oven for 250 degrees for about 30 minutes. When I am
ready to fill the jam, I remove the jars and fill them carefully. Make sure
your top of the jars were clean. Once the jars are filled and the rims are
cleaned, place the lids and rings on the jars. Place back in the oven for
another 30 minutes. I shut off the oven but I like to remove the jam and as the
jars cool, you can hear the lids pop as the vacuum seal sets in. I always count
the number of pops to make sure all the jars are sealed.
The
fruits of our bounty. Now we have the first gifts of the holiday season.
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Cynthia