Strawberry Freezer Jam

After our annual strawberry picking, we make copious amounts of jam. Last year I made 36 8-oz jars, and after we gave probably 8 jars away, we ran out of jam by Christmas.

It doesn't take that many strawberries to make jam: 2 cups of sliced/mashed berries will make a little over 5 8-oz. jars. However, it does take a lot of sugar! You may be shocked if you've never made jam before. But there's no high fructose corn syrup like there is in store-bought jam, so you've got that going for you.

This recipe is freezer jam, and it's uncooked, which means the fresh flavor is preserved. Since you store it in the freezer or refrigerator, you don't have to worry about sealing the jars or risking botulism. Store it in the freezer for a year or in the refrigerator for a month. You can pretty much use it straight from the freezer because it doesn't freeze solid.

I've had the best luck using liquid pectin (Certo) vs. powdered - it tends to set up better. As long as you keep the proportions correct and stir the sugar until it dissolves, yours will set up, too. If by any chance it doesn't, it makes a great sundae topping!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

2 cups sliced strawberries, mashed (you can do this by hand or in a blender or food processor - leave it somewhat chunky)

4 cups sugar

1 package liquid pectin

2 T. lemon juice

Clean canning jars or tupperware with lids

Mix strawberries with sugar and let stand for ten minutes. In a small bowl, mix packet of pectin with lemon juice. Add to strawberry mixture, and stir 3 min. or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers; immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam is now ready to use.