Strawberry Jam

The problem with strawberry jam is that strawberries are low in pectin. In the least scientific terms -- strawberries do not want to get jammy they just want to get soupy. So, if you want to make strawberry jam you need to figure out how to combine them with some extra pectin. I tried using commercial pectin -- this envelope with this gooey stuff. It looked promising but did not work. Then my husband heard a recipe on the radio that used plums to increase the pectin. I needed to try the plum recipe. I needed to make perfect strawberry jam before all the summer strawberries were gone. It wasn't just a hobby -- it was an obsession.

I used my beautiful berries from Blue House Farm; but, I supplemented them with some locally grown strawberries I picked up at a roadside stand in Half Moon Bay. I also purchased some canning jars. I had a huge tamale pot that I could use for sterilizing the jars and processing them at the end. And, I had tongs.

First, I sterilized the jars. You can wash them with hot water and soap and put them in a hot water bath or you can run them through your dishwasher. You want them warm when you put the jam in them.

Then, I cooked the plums, sugar and lemon in a pot until it is very soft. At the end, I put the strawberries in and cooked them on high temperature for about 5 minutes.

I took my tongs and pulled the jars and lids out of the hot water bath. I put the jam in the jars and then submerged the filled jars in the hot water bath for 15 minutes. Then, I let the jam sit on a rack for 12 hours. Finally, I put the jam in the pantry. Ah, summer in a jar all year long!

Strawberry Jam

from the KCBS website

Ingredients

4 cups seeds and chopped red plums

1 1/2 cups of sugar

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 pints strawberries, washed and cut in quarters

Sterilize the jars and lids and tongs (and any other equipment you will use for canning). Cook the plums, sugar and lemon juice in a thick bottomed, non-reative pot until very soft (about 30-40 minutes). Add the strawberries and cook over very high heat stirring constantly for 5-7 minutes (until strawberries are cooked and softened). Pack in sterilized jars with sterile lids. Submerge filled jars in hot water for 15 minutes. Set on a rack for 12 hours. Eat or put in pantry.