Every summer I make some homemade strawberry freezer jam!
My kids LOVE it.
Seriously….they go through it like crazy!!!
This is a picture of my sister Holly and I in 2008 making jam together.
It’s always more fun with a friend or a sister, right?
Step #1- You start with beautiful strawberries and wash & stem them.
Step #2- I don’t like “chunks” in my jam so I put the fruit in my blender and puree it. You need 3 1/4 cups.
(I like the MCP recipe best. Although I know it is not the healthiest. It does take a lot of sugar.)
Step #3- Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and stir well.
Step #4- Add box of MCP (pectin) and stir until completely dissolved.
Then let it sit for 30 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes.
Step #5-Add 1 cup of Karo Syrup. This helps prevent sugar crystallization during freezer storage.
Step #6- Gradually stir in 4 1/2 cups of sugar.
Step #7- Pour into prepared containers.
(You can use beautiful glass jars or I like to use quart size freezer baggies. They save a lot of room in the freezer. I fill my quart size baggies with 1 3/4 cups of jam. Then when you are ready to use it, just dump it into the container or glass jar of your choice. If you use glass jars, just leave about a 1/2 inch from the top.)
Step #8- Let stand for 24 hours until set. Then pop them into the freezer. They are good for up to a year.
(If you still have any in a year! =)
So, if you haven’t been brave enough to try making jam…..DO IT! You’re family will thank you!
Just look how pretty it is!
I think I need to go buy a chest freezer and fill it up with jam!!!