Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Canning: Strawberry Refrigerator Jam

When I got back to the cabin, my strawberry plants were loaded and there were lots of over ripe berries. I hated to throw them away, so I decided to experiment with some easy refrigerator jam.

Small Batch
Strawberry Refrigerator Jam

1 cup mashed strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup sugar

I picked, cleaned and mashed all of the over ripe berries. I then added some less ripe berries to bring the mashed mixture up to one cup. Actually, my recipe book recommended this as a way to elevate the natural pectin content. Then I added one tablespoon of lemon juice and one cup of sugar.

I gently heated the mixture in a heavy pot until the sugar was dissolved. Then I cooked it at a rolling boil until the candy thermometer reached 220º F (104º C). It cooked down a bit, but was still quite liquid. When it was cooled, it was still slightly runny, but oh so tasty! I put the jam in a sterilized jar, but did not complete the canning process. This jam is for immediate consumption and will be kept under refrigeration until gone.

I do want to try some real canning in the future, but for now this was a successful experiment with gustatory rewards. - Margy

6 comments:

  1. oh yummm..I cant believe u are getting strawberries now..but i guess it is all climate related.

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  2. Beautiful, tasty looking berries!

    Thanks for stopping by and telling me about the Butte America connection.

    I read your ATV post with interest. Lots of land damage here from them (riders won't stay on trails), so it was nice to know there is a place where riders are responsible.

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  3. sounds delicious and fairly easy! thanks for sharing the method.

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  4. I cant believe u are getting strawberries now.Beautiful, tasty looking berries!

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  5. I love strawberry freezer jam I wonder if I could make it with Splenda. I am going sailing today I am so excided.

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  6. Hi Betty - Don't know about freezer jam and Splenda. I know the pectin package I just used warned against it with cooked jam. - Margy

    Hi EcoRover - We have a wonderful ATV club here in Powell River. The club does lots of trail building and maintenance in addition to riding together for fun. While there are a few people everywhere that get off trails, we have so many to choose from here that it isn't that much of a problem. A lot of credit goes to our Wednesday Trail Group. They donate time and money for the benefit of all. - Margy

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We welcome your comments and questions. - Wayne and Margy