The strawberries are out now and so sweet. I just use the recipe on the Certo pectin box, the secret is to be picky with the berries, make sure they are ripe, a little over ripe is fine too. Go berry by berry as you cut and put each one in the bowl, this is the most time consuming part but will payoff 10 times in the flavor of the jam.
Here is the recipe right out of the certo box.
2 pt strawberries
1 lemon
Discard stems and crush strawberries.
2 cups crushed strawberries
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
4 cups sugar
1 pouch CERTO
Makes 4 cups (I always double this recipe, but I make each batch individually)
Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Use 1 to 2 cup size containers.
Prepare fruit, for berries, crush 1 cup at a time, using a potato masher for best results.
Measure exact amount of prepared fruit into a large bowl.
Measure exact amount of sugar into separate bowl. (reducing sugar or using sugar substitutes will result in set failures)
Stir sugar into prepared fruit. Mix well. Let stand 10 minutes; stir occasionally.
Stir pectin into lemon juice. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and no longer grainy, about 3 minutes. (a few sugar crystals may remain.)
Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing; cover. NOTE: Mason now carries plastic jar w/lids for freezer jam, I still like the glass pint jars, just keep about 1/2 to 3/4 inch from the top to allow for expansion)
Let stand at room temperature 24 hours until set. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks. Otherwise, store in freezer for up to one year. Thaw in refrigerator
Let me hear from those of you who make this wonderful little jam. COOK ON.........
