Strawberry Jam

To me, strawberries are the essential taste of summer. Canning them means you can open a jar of summer memories, even if it is snowing outside. I like to make a big batch to have some to give as gifts, but you can scale it up or down, as long as you have twice as much fruit as sugar.

4  lb.  strawberries (16 c.)
4 lb.  sugar (8 c.)
2 limes
12 pint jars with bands and lids

Juice the lemons and strain the juice. Wash and hull strawberries. Cut them into bite-sized pieces. Combine the strawberries, lemon juice and sugar in a large pot. Cover the pot loosely with plastic wrap and let stand overnight. 

The next day, place the jars, bands and lids in a canner or large pot to sterilize. Heat a couple of ladles of the mixture at a time in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When the strawberries start to bubble, stir the mixture constantly, until the preserves reach the soft ball stage. Test this by dropping jam off the tip of a spoon into a cup of cold water. It should form a squishy ball at the bottom.

Ladle the jam into the sterilized jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Put the lid on the jar, and fasten it down with a band.

Cook and can the remaining strawberry mixture.  Process in boiling water canner for 5 minutes.

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