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