Preserving the Harvest: Strawberry Jam

I know that its a little late in the season for strawberries.  In my defense we moved this summer so we wanted the least amount of stuff to move, then I was waiting to buy a new freezer (which I'm still waiting) so I could make freezer jam.  I finally just gave up and decided I better make some strawberry jam before the prices start going up.  The process was really simple just a little time consuming.

I cut up and smashed about 4lbs of strawberries to get 2 quarts of crushed strawberries.  Actually my daughter did the smashing and thought that it was one of the coolest things.  I could see boys loving this as well.

Then I moved the strawberries to a pot and added 6 cups of sugar.  I turned the heat on and slowly brought it to a boil, stirring every so often to help the sugar dissolve.

The next step is to let it boil rapidly until its thick.  It takes about 40 minutes.  Stir frequently to prevent sticking and burning at the bottom.  When it was thick I poured it into half-pint jars that had been sterilized and were hot, I put the lids on and put processed them in a Boiling Water Bath for 6 or 7 minutes.

I removed them from the bath and set them on the counter to cool and finish sealing.  I love hearing all the pops as they seal.