Strawberry Jam Sweetened With Honey Recipe
Make your own strawberry jam sweetened with honey. Enjoy a delicious treat with this easy-to-follow recipe.
Equipment
- Boiling Water Canner or a large deep sauce pot, with a lid, and a rack (the first few times I canned I did not have a canner or a rack. I just put the insert from my pressure cooker on the bottom of a deep pot.)
- 6 - 8 ounce, clean, glass jars with NEW lids and bands (I used 3 – 16 ounce jars).
- Wide Mouth Funnel (optional)
- Jar Lifter (optional)
- Lid Lifter (optional)
- Headspace Tool (optional)
Ingredients
- 4 Cups mashed fruit
- 1 Cup White Grape Juice Concentrate thawed
- 4 1/2 tbsp Ball Low or No Sugar Fruit Pectin
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon butter
Instructions
- Wash, dry, and hull strawberries. The easiest way I know of to hull strawberries is to pierce the strawberry from the bottom with a firm straw.
- Mash the strawberries with an old fashioned potato masher in a large, 8 cup measuring bowl. This allows me to see when I have reached the required 4 cups and is more accurate than slicing the strawberries. I then transfer the strawberries to a large pot and mash any large chunks that I see.
- Prepare the water canner by filling it half full with hot water. I add the jars and lids to the water, which I keep hot, but not boiling. Keep the jars and lids in the canner until you are ready to fill them. Leave the bands at room temperature.
- Combine mashed strawberries with grape juice concentrate. Gradually stir in the pectin. Add 1/2 teaspoon butter (this really does reduce the foaming!). Cook over high heat, stirring constantly. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil that cannot be stirred down.
- Add honey to taste. Return mixture to a full, rolling boil. Boil hard for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if you didn't put in butter.
- When the jam is done, I pull the jars and lids out of the canner and quickly dry them (but I don't worry about getting every drop of water). Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of head space. Clean any jam from the rim and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Center the hot lids on the jars. Apply bands and tighten until they are fingertip tight.
- Place filled jars in the canner. Be sure the water covers the tops of the jars by 1 - 2 inches. Add more hot water if necessary.
- Place lid on canner, and bring the water to a gentle, steady boil. Boil the jars for 10 minutes adjusting for altitude if necessary (1001 - 3000 feet add 5 minutes, 3001 - 6000 feet add 10 minutes, 6001 - 8000 feet add 15 minutes, 8001 - 10,000 feet add 20 minutes).
- After the processing is complete, turn off the heat and remove the lid. Let jars set for 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the canner and set upright on a towel to cool. Let them sit undisturbed for 12 - 24 hours.
- After cooling, test seals by pressing the center of each lid. If a lid does not flex up and down, it is sealed. If a lid is not sealed after the 24 hour period, refrigerate the jar immediately. It will stay edible in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. If the jars are sealed, label them and store them in a cool, dry, dark place for up to a year.