Strawberry Jam

I decided to make strawberry jam for the peanut butter and jelly cupcakes I was planning to make. I had never made jam before. I even bought a jar of strawberry jam as back up, but did not need it at all. This recipe is quite easy (as long as you don't mind baby sitting as the heat rises). It seemed to stay at 212F for a very long time. Also, I had a boiling over problem, but it was not a big issue.

I was so excited after making this that I had to make a piece of toast to test it out. Delicious!

Fresh strawberries, ready for mashing.

Heating

Strawberry Jam
2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled
4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. 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 (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't with processing, and just refrigerate.

Here's the jam in use. The cupcakes will follow.