Strawberry Jam (No Pectin Added)
Ingredients:
2 quarts fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
6 cups white sugar
Directions:
In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in small batches. Be careful not to make too much juice because too much liquid can cause jelling problems. I crush the strawberries one layer of berries at a time with a potato masher. You can also slice the berries and smash with a fork or your fingers, too. Don't stack a huge pile and try crushing them all at once.
In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries & sugar.
Stir with a rubber spatula over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C).
Transfer to hot, sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe any excess jam off the top of the jar and place a sterilized lid on the jar. Screw down a ring to hold the lid in place while processing.
Process in a boiling water canner for at least 10 minutes (depends on altitude). (If you’re going to eat it right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.)
JELLING TEST
Place three plates in a freezer... after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate... if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned.
