Recipe Time! Strawberry Jam

Doing something different for this Naturally Sweet Sisters blog post. Here in Michigan, it is strawberry season.  To me, nothing tastes better than ripe, sun-warmed strawberries right off the plant. 

In honor of strawberry season (see, now it sounds like a real, live holiday!), I thought it would be fun to show you a recipe for making homemade strawberry freezer jam.  It is simple, fast, fresh and delicious.  My favorite part is that you know exactly what is in it and counting those pesky carbs is super easy.

What you need:
2 cups crushed, strawberries
4 cups granulated sugar (or as little as you would like to use)
3/4 cup water
1 box of Sure-Jell Fruit Pectin

Step 1. 
Rinse the strawberries and remove the stems.  Crush the strawberries thoroughly.  Measure exactly 2 cups prepared fruit into a large bowl.  Add in the sugar (use the amount that you prefer for sweetness) and let the combined fruit and sugar mixture stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Also, make sure that you have enough plastic containers.  The original recipe called for five 1-cup containers with lids, but I tripled the amount using several 1/2 cup containers.  Make sure the containers are sterile and if in doubt, boil water and dip both lids and containers into the hot water.

Step 2. 
Mix the water and pectin together in a small saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil on high heat, stirring constantly.  Let boil for one minute.  Then, immediately add the fruit mixture and stir for three more minutes or until sugar is dissolved.  A few sugar granules might remain, but you shouldn't hear that gritty sugar sound.

Step 3.
Fill the containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of the tops.  Wipe off top edges of containers and immediately cover with lids.  Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours.  Jam is ready to use.  Either store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in freezer for up to one year.  Thaw in refrigerator before using and be sure to keep the jam in the refrigerator after use.

Nutritional information per serving (using 4 cups of sugar) - this will change if you alter the amount.

Serving = 1 tablespoon

Calories = 45
Sugars = 12 grams
Carbs = 12 grams

Enjoy!