Homemade Strawberry Jam

Quick & Easy Freezer Strawberry Jam(recipe paraphrased from the Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin box)

2 pints of strawberries (cored)

4 cups sugar

1.75 oz box Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin

3/4 cup water

containers with tight fitting lids for storing jam

Wash and rinse your storage containers.

Smash the cored strawberries with a potato masher, until you have exactly 2 cups of crushed strawberries. Pour the crushed berries into a large bowl and mix in the 4 cups of sugar (it has to be exactly 4 cups*). Let berry/sugar mixture sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir 1 box of pectin and 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir the pectin mixture into the fruit mixture. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved (about 3 minutes).

Pour the jam into the prepared containers. Leave 1/2″ of space at the top of each container to allow room for the jam to expand in the freezer.

Seal the containers and let the jam sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Then store the jam the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 1 year.

* There’s a version of Sure-Jell fruit pectin that’s designed for reduced sugar and sugar free recipes. I’ll probably try one of those recipes next time. It seems silly to add so much sugar to strawberries that are already perfectly sweet!