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[Cherika Four Seasons]

So, I'm making lots of strawberry jam atm. Most of the recipes I've looked up online say the jam should be used within a few weeks.

Just curious- if I add LOADS more sugar and lemon sqeezy than the recipes ask for, will the jame store for longer?

TIA 

[amy3js]

I make freezer strawberry jam using the instructions in the pectin and it stays good in my freezer for a year, easily. It does call for A LOT of sugar. A friend of mine cuts the sugar in half and it tastes great and keeps just as well, it just doesn't set quite right. HTH!

[andiclare]

In my experience jam can last longer than a few weeks if you keep it refrigerated or sealed in sterilized jars. You can freeze any extra that you have, which'll make it last even longer. Increase the sugar/lemon/pectin in the jam will ONLY screw up the flavor and won't extend the lifespan of your jam.

I make strawberry jam (and blueberry, and blackberry, and raspberry and peach, etc.) all the time and sometimes it'll last for weeks in the fridge. I know a lot of yall already have tried and tested jam recipes, but I wanted to add one more real simple one that I've been using for years. I don't ever use pectin; the fruit itself has enough natural pectin IMO.

6 oz fruit
3/4 cup white sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

That's the ratio, and you can double it or reduce it as needed. For some reason it works better if the fruit is frozen first, so even if I start with fresh fruit I'll put it in the freezer for at least a couple hours before making the jam. Just mix it all in a pan, crush the fruit with a fork over medium to med. high heat. Once it reaches the boiling point, reduce heat slightly and continue to stir/crush every few minutes until the jam thickens and coats the back of a spoon easily. (I realize you weren't exactly asking for a recipe, but I coudln't resist.  )

[amy3js]

I am loving your no-pectin recipe andiclaire!  I am gonna be on the look out for some fruit now, lol!  Do you mix everything together and then crush the berries/fruit all while on med heat? Just want to make sure I have that right.  And I am really bad at converting,  so about how many cups would 6oz be??

[MrsHope]

If you want jam to put up on the shelf for an extended period, you need to process it using the boiling canning method (boiling process is for high-acid foods and pressure cooker method is for low-acid foods). I never use pectin in my recipe, just boil until the gelling point. My recipe calls for 2 quarts strawberries to 6 cups sugar, but I always decrease the sugar and it just takes longer to reach the gelling point, but it's still good. Then just put into hot, sterile jars, put on the two-piece caps and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. They keep at least 2 years on the shelf.

There is an interesting fact I learned, by the way, about sugar. Botulism can't live in 70% sugar, or 15% salt (I think it was 15?), either way, food doesn't taste good with either of those percentages, so that's why people used to make sugar syrups and brines to can their food. Then when it came time to eat them, they would wash the food in a series of water baths to remove all the excess sugar/salt. But it kept their food on the shelf with no refrigeration. Interesting!

[Cherika Four Seasons]

wow, thanks everyone!

I didn't actually know what pectin was or that people used it in jam, but on that site herb fever linked I found out that you don't need to use pectin so long as some of the strawberries you use are ripe (they have higher levels of natural pectin) along with some over-ripe strawberries because they make the jam yummier 

Also, what you said about the boiling thing Mrs Hope, yesterday I made the jam, put it in jars, and then put the jars in boiling water for 30 mins. Is that right?

Thanks for the recipe also Andiclaire  my jam was tasty but a little too lemon-y, so I might try yours next time!

[andiclare]

I am loving your no-pectin recipe andiclaire!  I am gonna be on the look out for some fruit now, lol!  Do you mix everything together and then crush the berries/fruit all while on med heat? Just want to make sure I have that right.  And I am really bad at converting,  so about how many cups would 6oz be??

I'd say 6 oz of frozen fruit equals about 1 and half or 1- 3/4 cup frozen fruit. What I do is just put the fruit, sugar and lemon juice all together in the pan over medium heat. As it heats, the sugar and fruit will melt and you can help it along by stirring and crushing the fruit. Increase the heat slightly when it's all melted until it boils, then just let it boil and thicken on med-high heat. It's not set in stone, it can be anywhere from 15-25 minutes of boiling, so you really just need to watch it and test it every now and then. When it coats the back of a spoon easily, a nice thick coat, then it's done.

It really is SO easy and SO good. I can't wait for you to try it! You'll probably find your own favorite recipe, but the one I do the most often is blackberry-strawberry jam, using equal amounts frozen strawberries and blackberries. Sooo yummy!

Another tip: if you use peaches for peach jam, add just a dash of pumpkin pie spice (or a small half-pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg) to the peaches as they're cooking.

[amy3js]

I am loving your no-pectin recipe andiclaire!  I am gonna be on the look out for some fruit now, lol!  Do you mix everything together and then crush the berries/fruit all while on med heat? Just want to make sure I have that right.  And I am really bad at converting,  so about how many cups would 6oz be??

I'd say 6 oz of frozen fruit equals about 1 and half or 1- 3/4 cup frozen fruit. What I do is just put the fruit, sugar and lemon juice all together in the pan over medium heat. As it heats, the sugar and fruit will melt and you can help it along by stirring and crushing the fruit. Increase the heat slightly when it's all melted until it boils, then just let it boil and thicken on med-high heat. It's not set in stone, it can be anywhere from 15-25 minutes of boiling, so you really just need to watch it and test it every now and then. When it coats the back of a spoon easily, a nice thick coat, then it's done.

It really is SO easy and SO good. I can't wait for you to try it! You'll probably find your own favorite recipe, but the one I do the most often is blackberry-strawberry jam, using equal amounts frozen strawberries and blackberries. Sooo yummy!

Another tip: if you use peaches for peach jam, add just a dash of pumpkin pie spice (or a small half-pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg) to the peaches as they're cooking.

Thank you so much! I am really excited to try this.

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