JAM I AM!!

A little while ago, my sister Cali asked if I would post my jam recipe, so here it is!!! OK, so about a year ago my friend told me she was making freezer jam. I thought self, you need to know how to make jam. I had always thought it would be hard for some reason but my friend assured me how easy it was. So I thought why not? Well, now I am hooked. I don't like the freezer jam as well because I don't have a lot of freezer space!! So, I decided to make the regular old jam and I LOVE it. I have made it for gifts for visiting teaching, to give a little something for the missionaries when they eat over and just to give out to show off!! I have a recipe in my my Better Homes and Gardens cook book, but my favorite one is the one in the SURE JELL box. Make sure to get the pink one because it is more forgiving if you don't get the exact amount of sugar in. I will go through the process, but just use the recipe for exact measurements, as I used my boxes and threw away everything without thinking about posting!!! OOPS!

1) Get your favorite fruit, i.e. strawberries (as seen in this post), raspberries, peaches, whatever flips you. Strawberries go on sale here and there for super cheap (about $1 per pound) and that's when I make my jam. I also do this in the fall during harvest when you can get a huge box of peaches for super cheap.
2) Buy the pink Sure Jell pectin./about 3 1lb. containers of strawberries per box of pectin.




3) FOR STRAWBERRIES:
Wash the berries and cut off stems.

4) Dennis hates chunks in his jam so I don't just mash, I blend my berries.

5) Measure out sugar and follow directions in Sure Jell box. You have to mix a small amount of the sugar with the pectin and cook with fruit. Stir constantly!!! When you hit a rolling boil, you add the rest of the sugar.

6)The recipe will tell you to add butter to prevent foam. I DON'T DO THIS!! I don't mind the foam and just skim it off if it is a lot, a little gets in the jars, but it doesn't affect the jam so I am not crazy about this.
(the foam is the lighter part in picture)

7) Remove from heat and stir for a minute. Ladle into jars leaving a slight head space.

8) Put on lids and then seal with canning steamer/sealer (I think it's just called a canner?). I steam for 20 minutes and then let my jars sit. They pop when they seal. You can also tell by pressing the top of the lid, if it is sealed it will do nothing if not sealed will make a little pop noise and you will be able to push on it. If not sealed after an hour our so, you may need to re-steam them.
9)Voila, you just made jam as good as grandma or Betty!!! Super easy!! I bought 6 lbs of strawberries and made 13 jars (some were a little bigger size) of yummy jam!!!!