Summertime calls for jam making. No matter the temperature outside, when the fruit ripens, canning it all up is on my mind.
Most years I miss strawberry jam making, June is a notoriously busy month for us (mid-June is prime strawberry season in my area). Blueberry, peach, and apple season are all met with eager jam, sauce and butter making plans - but strawberries usually go straight from the field to the freezer for smoothies and such.
This year was a little different though. Heavy rains delayed the strawberry harvest by a couple of weeks, so I was able to get through the busyness of June and went to the farm at the very end of the month. With most of our June commitments behind us, I set about turning the many pounds of strawberries into jam. Two dozen 8 ounce jars of jam to be exact.
And then I made Lemon Balm Jelly, but we'll talk about that in my next post.
I didn't always make jam. For much of my adult life jam-making seemed like a way to preserve a whole lot of sugar with a very little bit of fruit. Sounds delicious, but I couldn't convince myself this was a good idea for the health of my pantry supply. Then along came Ponoma's Pectin (or at least my discovery of it)!
With Ponoma's you don't need all that sugar. You don't need any in fact! You could skip it all together, or use something like honey, stevia, or maple syrup. (I talk a little more about how Ponoma's Pectin works in this post.) For much of our summer fruit canned goods I use honey. When we get into apple season I'll be pulling out the maple syrup - apples and maple go together so perfectly.
Meanwhile let's make some Honey Strawberry Jam!
Honey Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 16 cups mashed strawberries (start with about 8 quarts washed berries - pulse them through the food processor)
- 3 cups local honey (you can use more or less honey to your liking, depending on tartness of berries)
- 8 teaspoons Pomona's Pectin powder
- 8 teaspoons calcium water (made using calcium powder that comes with Pomona's Pectin, instructions included in package)
Directions:
- In very hot water, wash and rinse 20 half pint canning jars. This can be done by hand or in the dishwasher. Do this right before ready to use so jars are still hot.
- Add lids and rings to a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a strong simmer but do not boil. Keep lids and rings in hot water as you prepare jam.
- In a very large pot combine mashed strawberries and calcium water. Bring to a boil. Stirring often to prevent fruit from sticking to the pan.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, combine honey and pectin. Mix well. A small whisk works does a nice job of this.
- Add honey/pectin mixture to the boiling fruit. Continue to stir and boil for 2 minutes or so, until jam begins to thicken. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface of jam.
- Jam thickens upon cooling, so to best test your jam's doneness, put a teaspoonful on a saucer and refrigerate for a few minutes. Check for “jam” consistency. Cook another minute or so if not thick enough.
- Using a wide mouth funnel and small measuring cup as a scoop, fill hot/clean jars leaving 1/4" head space at the top. Place lids on the top and screw on bands, not too tightly.
- Process jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. (Add one minute more for every 1,000 feet of elevation.)
- Using a jar lifter, remove from water once processed. Allow to sit in one spot and cool completely.
- Add to your pantry!
Print Recipe - Honey Strawberry Jam
This recipe makes a perfectly fruity, not overly sweet, jam. By the way, did you know if you find it is too hot when the berries come in you can just freeze them and make jam at a later date? Say... September 20th when there's a cool breeze blowing through the windows? Ahh, that sounds good too.
Next, we'll make herbal jelly using lemon balm!
