Do you remember last week when I mentioned getting all of those flats of strawberries? And then I went on a strawberry recipe frenzy with the strawberry sauce & the strawberry lemonade? Well… my strawberry recipe’s are still coming. There were SO many strawberries, so I had to spread them out into a few different recipe’s!

One of which is a family favorite. We are big jam people. Or jelly. If it’s sweet, and can add a little pizzazz to a peanut butter sandwich, we love it. I’m also big on foods that can be put into food storage. You’ll find that out this year with all of the canning recipe’s I have in store! Strawberry jam has intimidated me a little… mostly because I’m afraid of pectin. And canning. There are so many rules to follow, and if you don’t do it right, you’ll end up with a ton of useless cans of preserves…

The recipe I ended up using actually only has three ingredients. It’s super easy. Which probably explains how I ended up canning over 30 jars!

Strawberry Jam
{Original recipe found on AllRecipes}

2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled & chopped
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

PREP: Boil all of your jars and lids. Make sure you DO NOT touch the inside rim of the lids, or inside the jar with your fingers. {I used tongs} Set on a clean towel to dry. {if you touch the inside of the lid/jar, you are spreading bacteria from your fingers to the sterile jar. This can cause your food to spoil}

STARTING THE JAM: Toss the chopped berries into a blender. Blend until desired consistency is reached. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F.

TIME TO CAN: Fill each jar almost totally full. {Within a 1/4” to the top} Screw on the lids, and flip the jars upside down onto your counter. Leave them there for 20 minutes, then flip right side up. Let them sit undisturbed for for a few hours or overnight. In the morning, check to see if any of the cans didn’t seal. I normally will have one or two. Those ones should be put into the refrigerator and used immediately. The remaining cans need to sit for another 12-24 hours on your counter, then transferred to storage, or distributed to friends and family.
{This method was taught to me by one of my readers. Thank you Jen!}

I know these aren’t the most creative photo’s. But man oh man is this stuff good. My son now insists on only STRAWBERRY jam on his toast and sandwich’s. And it was so simple to make. Total time for me to make all of the jars I made…. 1-1/2 hours. That is crazy good. Well, for me anyway.

I hope you all had a great Mother’s Day yesterday!

I spent my day, doing what else but, making cupcakes! It’s so therapeutic. Especially since my little guy was in time out 3 times within the first two hours of being awake. Apparently he doesn’t quite understand the holiday. Maybe next year I’ll be a little more lucky. :0)

I’m linking up @: I {Heart} naptime, Tatertots & Jello,