Country Gal Strawberry Jam

So local strawberries are on the verge of being available... one of our nearby farms is advertising June 22 as the first 'pick-your-own' day, so Ontario strawberries should start to flooding the farmers markets any time (or your local superstore... if that is your only option). In honour of the first fruit of spring, here is a recipe for strawberry jam that DOESN'T REQUIRE PECTIN, and which you can make in your kitchen.
This recipe is started on one day and finished the next.

EQUIPMENT TO START WITH:

• 1/2 pint jars (you buy them in boxes of 12, but you'll use them up by the time summer is done) and lids with screw bands (available by the box, or they should come in the box of jars)
• Saucepan for making the strawberries
• "Kettle" sized pot for processing .. if you plan to preserve a lot this summer (salsa, tomato sauce, anything like that) it is worth buying a water-bath sized pot (they are available at Canadian Tire and come with all the accessories) but you can also use a big soup pot.
• plastic spatula, wooden spoons, perforated skimmer (or a slotted serving spoon if the slots are small enough, or a small strainer)
• Either jar tongs (also at Canadian Tire) or if you don't want to invest in a pair, get one of those silicone oven mitts... you need a way to pull the hot jars out of the hot water.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 cups (about 2 pounds) of strawberries - buy a bit extra so you can discard any fruit that isn't perfect. You'll need to hull these (take the leafy bit off)
• 1 lemon
• 5 cups sugar (I know it seems like a lot, but sugar is part of the pectin / preserving chemistry. You can can without sugar, but you need sophisticated ingredients)

METHODOLOGY for 4 x 1/2 cup jars

• Wash the fruit and pat dry. Hull the strawberries and discard any that aren't perfect.
• put the fruit in large saucepan and cook gently over very low heat for a few minutes to start the juice running. Take care not to let it burn - stir if necessary.
• Remove from the heat, and mash the strawberries.
• Let stand overnight.
• Put a saucer and 3 teaspoons in the fridge.
• The next day, add ALL the juice from the lemon, and the sugar.
• Bring to a simmering point over low heat.
• Stir well while the sugar is dissolving.
• When the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat and boil rapidly for 10 minutes, stirring occassionally to prevent burning.
• While the jam is boiling, fill your kettle or large stock pot with water and bring to the boil. You only need to fill the pot up about 1/3 full... you only need 2" of water above the jars for the water bath.
• The juice will reduce and the jam will start to thicken.
• Take off the heat.
• Test for set: take a teaspoon from the fridge, and take 1 teaspoon of the jam and put it on the cold saucer from the fridge. Put the saucer in the fridge or freezer and leave for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, push it with a finger... if it offers resistance or crinkles, it is ready. If it is still liquid, return the jam to the heat and boil for a few more minutes. Then test again. Make sure you take the jam off the heat each time you test so you don't burn or ruin your jam.
• When the 'setting point' has been reached, skim the jam with a perforated skimmer. Stir the jam well and let stand for 20 minutes for the fruit to settle.
• While it is standing, 'sterilize' your jars (you will need 4 or so for this recipes) by putting them in the boiling water in the kettle or stock pot. Let them boil for about 10 minutes.
• Put a small saucepan on the stove with a few inches of water in it. Bring it barely to a simmer and put 4 x lids (not the screw bands) into it. This will soften the seal around the edge.
• Take your jars out of the kettle, and ladle the jam into them while they are still hot. Leave about 1/4" of 'headroom'
• Press a spatula down the sides of the jars, to release any air bubbles in the mixture.
• Carefully wipe down the mouth of the jars with a damp paper towel (you can use your hot water for this) ... you don't want any mixture on the glass as this will prevent the lid from sealing properly. Put a lid on the jar (careful, they will be hot) and place a screw band over it. Don't tighten the band to tightly, just until it's snug.
• Do all the jars like this.
• If you are using a stock pot, you might want to put a folded dishtowel in the bottom of the pot, to cushion the jars.
• Put the jars into the kettle or stock pot. If you are using a stock pot, you should put more towels around the jars to keep them from crashing into one another. Some people recommend putting another towel on top of your jars and weighing them down with a heatproof plate to keep the jars from floating.
• You only need to have 2" of water over the jars, so don't have the kettle or stock pot filled to the top. If you don't have enough water, add more to reach the 2" mark.
• Bring the water back to the boil slowly.
• Once the water reaches a boil, start timing. You need to boil the jam for 5 minutes.
• Once the 5 minutes has been reached, remove the pot from the heat and carefully take the jars out of the water. Don't let them turn too much to the side, try to keep them upright. If you don't have jar tongs, you can use a ladle to get as much hot water out of the pot as you can, and then use your silicone mitt to pull out the towels and jars.
• Put the jars on a non-marking surface (your stove top would work, away from heat, or an old wooden cutting board. Let the jam cool. You should hear a "pop" sound as each jar cools - this is the sound of the seal being set on the jar.
• Once the jam cools (and this takes a while) lable them.
• Store them in a dark, cool cupboard or panty.

Any leftovers can be refridgerated and enjoyed immediately!