Strawberry Time

   Saturday morning my husband and I had our weekly ritual of hitting a couple of yard sales, coffee and a decadent Danish at King Arthur Flour's café, and then on to the Norwich farmer's market. The farmer's market did not disappoint since I went for local strawberries for making jam, and strawberries they had at nearly every vendor.
   Sunday morning it was jam time! I started at 7:30 a.m. and was totally done by 9:30 a.m. The most time consuming part was of course clean up. The filled and canned jars must sit for two weeks before trying them, to allow for addition time to complete the jelling process, but so far all looks well.
   The recipe is simple and I encourage anyone who would like to try canning to make strawberry jam as their first attempt at canning. So here we go!

 You will need, in addition to a stove, measuring cup, spoons and pots the following items:

a colander
strawberry huller ( a sharp paring knife works fine)
potato masher
jar funnel
jar lifter
bubble remover/headspace measure ( also not mandatory, a butter knife slid along the side of the jar will remove air bubbles)
water bath canner with jar rack
canning jars
jar lids
screw bands

1. Wash jars, lids, and screw bands in hot soapy water, rinse. Place jars in your canner filled 2/3 with water, bring to a simmer. Let jars sit in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in a small saucepan of water and simmer ( do not boil lids).
2. Wash strawberries and drain in colander. Pat dry on paper towels. Hull strawberries, then crush strawberries with potato masher one layer at a time. Measure out 5 1/3 cups crushed strawberries and place in saucepan. Slowly add 6 Tablespoons of Ball brand "Real Fruit Classic Pectin". Bring mixture to a full rolling boil. (a boil which cannot be stirred down) Then add 4 cups of sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return to a hard boil and boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. This recipe yields 8 jars of jam 8 ounces each. Ladle jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace, use bubble remover to remove any air along sides of jar. Wipe rims with clean damp cloth and position lids on jars. Apply screw bands and adjust to just fingertip tight. Do not over tighten.
4. Place filled jars back into jar rack in canner with 1 to 2 inches of water covering tops. Place lid on canner and when it comes to a boil, begin timing and boil for ten minutes. Then turn off heat and remove lid. Let jars sit in canner for 5 additional minutes before removing.
5. Place jars on table or countertop and check seal in 24 hours. Pushing on the center of lid should not yield any flexing for a tight seal. Tighten screw bands and store in a dry, dark cupboard for up to 1 year. Refrigerate your jam after opening the jar.

It's a real indulgence to have a bit of summer in a jar on a cold day in January!  

jar funnel, magnetic lid lifter, bubble remover/headspace measure, jar lifter, potato masher, and strawberry huller

the completed jam