Strawberry Jam

This was my first time making jam/jelly. It was so easy to make and tastes great!!! My 9 year old son loves it. (I didn't even know where to get the jars from because it is not "the season" to make jam in MD yet! The craft store had the jars in stock.) Here are a few tips and/or lessons I learned... 1. Use a blender or chopper and puree the strawberries until you have four cups. 2. I did not have a thermometer, so I brought the mixture to a rolling boil stirring consistency for ten minutes. (All you will see is bubbles all over the bottom of the pot and foam in some areas. If you put a lid on, it will boil over your pot.) 3. I did the cold plate test to see if the mixture would jell. The first time I was unsure, so I gave it five more minutes of rolling boil time, then tried the plate test again. 4. When you get the jars ready, after soaking them in hot water, use tongs and silicone mitts to handle the glass jars because they will be VERY hot. 5. Place the strawberry jam mixture in the hot jars and put the lid on right away and then turn it upside down. 6. I waited 5 minutes and then turned them back over. This seals the jars. 7. Your jam will not look like jam/jelly, more like thick syrup. 8. Wait for it to "set" After 48 hours you will know if you did it right. 9. I got 2 and a half 16oz jars out of this recipe. I hope this helps. Check out the mason jar pics of my finished jam. Enjoy and Good Luck!

Too sweet. The boil needs to be rolling - you cannot stir it down. It will splatter everywhere. This only set as jam after a night in the fridge. Next time I will cut the sugar - I was going to give a small jar to my grandma, but it is far too sweet. When you taste the mix just after the sugar dissolves, that is not the real sweetness. It intensifies once it's boiled so don't think it isn't sweet enough if you first taste it. I put three small plates in the freezer, put a small dob of jam on one and then replaced. After a minute I checked if I could run my finger through and had it jelled. Easy but too sweet. UPDATE : Gave it to Grandma, she loved it. :)FYI, you need 4 punnets of 250g strawberries to get 4 cups of mashed strawberries. Each result tastes a little different, so yum. I advise to follow it exactly, and it tastes a million times better than any jam from a supermarket. It's better to use the heaviest bottom huge pot you have, and start the boil slowly, move it up in quarter increments until high, this way it doesn't catch and burn. Don't be in a hurry, I burnt it when I needed it that afternoon because I was in a hurry, and brought it to the boil too fast in a thin bottomed pot.

Too sweet. The boil needs to be rolling - you cannot stir it down. It will splatter everywhere. This only set as jam after a night in the fridge. Next time I will cut the sugar - I was going to give a small jar to my grandma, but it is far too sweet. When you taste the mix just after the sugar dissolves, that is not the real sweetness. It intensifies once it's boiled so don't think it isn't sweet enough if you first taste it. I put three small plates in the freezer, put a small dob of jam on one and then replaced. After a minute I checked if I could run my finger through and had it jelled. Easy but too sweet. UPDATE : Gave it to Grandma, she loved it. :)FYI, you need 4 punnets of 250g strawberries to get 4 cups of mashed strawberries. Each result tastes a little different, so yum. I advise to follow it exactly, and it tastes a million times better than any jam from a supermarket. It's better to use the heaviest bottom huge pot you have, and start the boil slowly, move it up in quarter increments until high, this way it doesn't catch and burn. Don't be in a hurry, I burnt it when I needed it that afternoon because I was in a hurry, and brought it to the boil too fast in a thin bottomed pot.

Turned out great! Water bath is about 10-15 minutes in boiling water for those that don't know.

Great recipe. I have been canning for years and never made Jam without pectin. I had a dinner party last night. I had left over strawberries so I thought it would be a great idea to make the jam so each of my guest could take somthing home. I did't have pectin on hand so I thought I would give this a try. It turned out great! I read the reviews and the people that said the jam was too thin, they did not boil hard enough. Great recipe!!! I will be using it when I do my jam. Thank You!

Wow - fabulous, easy recipe. I picked 25 lbs. of strawberries yesterday and tried this recipe and a sure-jell freezer jam recipe. Both were good, but I loved this one. One or two recommendations: Do not use a saucepan - I started with a 3 qt pan and had to pour the jam into a large stock pot midway through cooking - when it starts to boil, it really bubbles up. It takes a long time to get from 215 degrees to 220, keep stirring so the bottom does not burn and be patient. I also used the plate test and it worked well also. The results are great. I used ziploc plastic containers, and am storing what we are not eating in the freezer - it won't last long.

I am only giving this 3 stars because I feel the instructions are lacking for those who have never made jam. I was left with a lot of questions and had to find the answers elsewhere. A lot of people said they made this with less sugar than the recipe called for and it turned out fine. For me it didn't turn out at all with less amount of sugar. I highly suggest that if you have never made jam before to just follow the recipe as is. But on a fantastic note, my overly runny jam with half the amount of sugar is the most fantastic sauce for pancakes and vanilla ice cream, yummy!! I am only dissapointed in the lack of insrtuctions for a newbie, otherwise it tastes great and I am happy with the flopp since there was nothing wasted.

Great recipe! I've never made jam before, but decided to give it a try. I actually used frozen strawberries and it was fantastic! I used 3 cups of sugar and actually will use less next time. It's super sweet and super yummy! At first it was runny, but thickened up as it cooled down. My husband and kids love it! No more store bought jam for us!

I've never made Jam before, and this was really easy! I used Frozen Strawberries and just cooked on low with 3 1/2 cups of sugar until softened. THEN I mashed them very easily in the pan with a pastry dough cutter. Due to others' reviews of the consistency, I threw in 1/2 tsp of gelatin into the still cool strawberry mix and let it sit about 5 minutes before proceeding with the boiling (I didn't have any pectin, nor do I have the slightest idea how to use it). I should note here that I added to the cooking jam mixture the lemon rind from one of the lemons I used for juice. I did this because of its naturally high pectin level - The rind is removed before canning the jam. I boiled on high for 25-30 minutes before the plate test passed and it came out... Perfect! I used the upside down jar "process" for 10 minutes instead of the water bath and it all came out awesome :) I even opened one of the jars the next day to test out the actual canning part. The lid gave way suction and "popped" as it was twisted opened; so the canning had worked as it was suppose to. The flavor and texture are AMAZING too :). I see no reason to purchase store bought jam, 'cause this stuff is waaaay better

I have never made jam before, but this was very easy. Be prepared to stir for awhile though! I didn't feel like processing, so I just put it in freezer containers and made freezer jam. It turned out great!

This one turned out pretty good. A little on the thin side, but great taste and color. You really have to cook to the precise degree to make sure it sets. Overall very good.

Love this recipe! Have made it for the past two years as Year-End Teacher's Gifts and always a hit. Two suggestions though, like everyone has said the recipe calls for too much sugar. I used 1/2 the amount and it was still plenty sweet, could probably get away with using even less. Second, I didn't have a thermometer to measure when it reached 220 degrees so I just kept boiling and stirring until it got to the consistency I wanted, which is about 45 min to 1 hr. That's a long time I know, but the result is well worth it! The jam come s out a beautiful deep red color and is nice and thick in consistency. Will be making it every year :)!

It was so simple!! I just *loved* it. The consistency is excellent and the jam's just perfect for morning toasts. (Tip: trust me, there's nothing like serving this jam over cheesecake. Try it, you won't regret it!!)

This is a great and easy to follow recipe that will give you a great strawberry jam but after making it for the first time I would make following changes and suggestions. 1) I LOVE lemony taste so I added zest of 1 lemon or a bit less 2) You need around 2.3lb of fresh strawberries to get 4 caps of crashed one. 3) 4 cups of sugar is a bit much (and I have a sweet tooth) next time I'll use 3 1/2 cups of sugar 4)Make sure to use BIG pot I mean 7 or 8 litters (2 gallons) or it will boil right over 5)Make sure all the sugar is dissolved before you crank up the heat and when you do crank it up make sure to use the highest setting on your stove (you basically trying to overheat a liquid and to do this you need to use very, very high heat) and for the true jam connoisseur I added 1 1/2 to 2 tbs of grand mariner liquor to give it a hint of orange.

I love this receipe. Less sugar than most others but just a sweet and much easier. Somethings I did learn were: Dont Double the Recipe and if you add 1/8th tsp butter just when it starts to foam, it cuts the foam back down and there is very little to scrape off before you put it into jars. This is now my ONLY strawberry jam recipe.

I make jams, jellies and preserves all the time since I live on a farm and have fruit trees and live in a country where fruits are available all year round. This is the first time that I have had a strawberry jam turn out quite as it was supposed to. The taste is fantastic. I modified the recipe as I and my husband prefer whole fruits or chunky jams. The cooking time takes a little longer as I am also very near the coast. I have added a picture of the canned goods. My husband actually tasted the pot after it was bottled in the jars, and his immediate reaction was, HMMMMMMMM!! That is a plus all by itself. I must admit the last time I attempted Strawberry jam was when we had picked so many from the garden and I made an attempt at jam, which was a total failure. I burned it and then tried to eat it anyway, but oh my goodness, it was awful and so I ended up chucking it out. Cried for weeks. Thanks for this super recipe and now I have no excuses for not preparing it properly.

My husband's favorite, we will never buy jelly from the store again. Our strawberry patch was wildly successful in the last few weeks and we needed something to do with the berries we couldn't eat - other than freeze them, as our freezer is already overstuffed. Never tried preserves before, but two thumbs up for this simple recipe. I noticed that during the cooking, the temperature of the hot mix that was bubbling was always around 200deg, while the temp of the homogeneously mixed liquid was much lower. HINTS: Don't stir too often, use a large, heavy soup pot (not a saucepan) and do not add a top at any time; gradually increase the temperature of the stove top (don't start on high heat, start on med-low heat and increase as the berry mix warms). Also, I can't imagine getting this right without a thermometer to mark the point of 220 deg; if you don't have one, get one first! Thanks for posting! Updated 6.14.14: I use this recipe for apricot jam as well as other fruits/berries on hand in quantity/in season. Some times I add a little light brown sugar in addition to the white, gives a little different "sweet". Thanks again - has become a family staple!

This strawberry jam was great. I followed the recipe to the letter. There is only one catch to this recipe. Inorder to get the cooking jam up to 225 degrees you will have to let the mixture boil for about 15 minutes on high. I have also used this recipe on other fruits such as peaches. I love this recipe because there are not preservaives just fruit and sugar. Gotta love it.

This recipe as listed is wonderful and makes any store bought jam tasteless! Although the 4 cups of sugar sounds like alot, you should use it all. I researched it and the sugar acts as a preservative and less may cause mold to grow, even in your jar you sealed with a water bath and most definitetly would shorten the shelf life even refrigerated.

This jam is beautiful...it reminds me of my GrandMothers' farmhouse recipe. We prefer our jam less sweet so I doubled the amount of berries and lemon juice and used only 5 cups of sugar. It turned out perfect. I will definetly make this recipe again.

I made this jam last night, my berries were very ripe so I only added about half of the sugar called for. I did mess up by not boiling it long enough. I canned it and all my jars sealed, hopeful that it would maybe thicken up during the night but it didn't. This morning I dumped it all back into the pot and cooked it until it reached 220 degrees and put it back into the jars and processed again..It turned out PERFECT!! ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!! I am now making another batch..I also forgot to mention that I made the first batch 16 cups of mashed berries, 7 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of lemon juice.. note to self.....don't panic and quit too soon, keep stirring and boiling!! the first time around was kinda thick but still runny, would of been great on pancakes!! Thanks for the great recipe, this was my first jam making experience!

I love the ease of this recipe! It's great! It's a little runny but who cares! Maybe mine is runnier because I don't add the recommended amount of sugar. 4 c. is just waaaaay too much. I tried it with 2 c. and that was still too much. I am currently working on my 6th batch and I am only using 1 1/3c. of sugar and 1/3 c. Dutch Jell pectin and it tastes delicious!!! In my fifth batch I threw in 1 1/2c. of blueberries as well - YUM! This is a super easy base recipe! Next I'm trying 1 1/2c. of crushed pineapple added!!!!!!!

This stuff is addicting! I was a little skeptical because it didn't taste very good warm. But once it had cooled completely it was delicious! I double the recipe. Using 8 cups of berries, 1/2 cup of lemon juice but only 3 cups of sugar. I didn't think the plate test was necessary because it was pretty obvious when it was ready to come off the burner. It reduces WAY down, and really thickens up. Looks almost maroon in color. It turned out perfect, and I will definitely make this again, might even try it with other fruit.

For us new to making jam...be sure to stir and watch the very end of the boiling process....it will burn on you in a second! Great receipe and 20 minutes is a safe estimate for cooking at a rolling boil I also cut the sugar down and found the plate test very helpful. Enjoy

I love this recipes! I recommend cutting the sugar in half! It was a bit too sweet for my taste even when I cut it in half but, I still loved it! I was really simple to make and it smells wonderful!

This was my first time making jam/preserves. Made a batch of regular and a batch with Splenda for my brother who is a diabetic. Very Easy; taste great. I used frozen strawberries instead of fresh as it was about 20 cents cheaper per pound. After they thawed, very easy to mash. Will make this again and again.... plan on using for Christmas gifts to make a gourmet basket. Thank you to the author of this recipe!

This was my first attempt at making jam, like many others that have reviewed it, and it really came out well...in fact, I enjoyed making it so much, I'm going to order a home canning kit off Amazon tonight. (This jam I am putting in the Ball freezer-safe containers since I wasn't sure it would work and I didn't want to invest in the canning kit just yet until I was sure I would use it.) This recipe could NOT be easier...the only thing I had problems with is that my two pounds of strawberries only yielded three cups of strawberries, not four, so I cut the sugar back to three cups and the lemon juice to three tablespoons to adjust. Seemed to work out just fine. I am not sure what everyone is saying about the long time getting to temperature. I used a candy thermometer and I am not sure it's because I was using an Emerilware stockpot with copper on the bottom, but MAN, it hit 220 degrees in a FLASH. It didn't even boil for ten minutes. I tested it with the plate test too just to make sure I hadn't done something wrong and it jelled right up. Amazing recipe. I may never buy store-bought jam again!

I am rating this recipe based on the recipe submitted, no alterations. I made the recipe as is and it is way too sweet. Also, I boiled mine for over 20 mins and it never got above 215F. I canned the 'jam' and processed in water bath. Tried it the next day and it was still too sweet and was more like strawberry syrup for pancakes than anything. If made for something like that it would be fantastic. But this was not a jam. Not even thick enough to pick up with a knife to spread. I got a canning book at the library and there was almost the exact recipe, except it only calls for 2 cups sugar. The recipe in the book states to boil for 15 mins and check using the plate method or a spoon method (2 ribbons drip from a metal spoon separately and don't run together) to check if it will gel. And to continue to boil until you reach the gel state.Before it reached this state it took almost 20 minutes. It never did get to 220'F, and I had the heat on high Be sure to stir constantly or the bottom will burn. And use a LONG metal spoon so the boiling jam doesn't splatter on you. I won't be using this for my jam recipe. But for a syrup recipe I would, with half the sugar.

This is wonderful. It was my 1st time making jam and I was so excited with the outcome. I only used 2 cups of sugar and it was perfect. It made 3 1/2 - 1/2 pint jars. My 3 year old daughter and husband have devoured bread and jam all day.

Awesome and Easy! I used this recipe to make my first batch of jam, not a fan of pectin so this worked well. The berries I had picked were fairly sweet so I reduced the sugar to one cup. Thinking about making another batch and adding some peaches. Be sure to wait for the "tar pit" bubbles prior to pouring into jars.

Exactly the technique I prefer. No reason to add pectin or anything to jellify the jam, it takes care of itself if cooked right. But this recipe had way too much sugar! 3lbs strawberries, 3 cups sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice. Likewise, 2lbs strawberries should be 2 cups sugar. Anything more than 3lbs of strawberries will take too long to cook, but you can do less and be ok. Let the strawberries be the flavor, though, not the sugar.

I followed the instructions to the letter, and it is the BEST jam I have ever made. I think the heavy bottom pot (I used my pasta pot), and the FULL rolling boil (who cares how much splatters on the wall...its worth it!) will avoid all of the problems other reviewers encountered. I used 6 cups of strawberries, and 5 cups of sugar (only because I ran out)and it filled 12 x 125ml perfectly - with enough left over for the kids to each have a big spoonful on toast. Total boiling time was about 15 - 20 minutes. Definitely a keeper recipe.

I followed this recipe as instructed and, while the taste was very good, the consistency was not. While cooking I could see the jam boil and gradually become firmer. I took it off the heat soon after and as it cooled it turned into strawberry tar, and finally into strawberry cement. It is literally hard as a rock inside the jar, so much so that the metal knife itself bends if I try to scoop any out. Fortunately re-heating it in the microwave softens the jam to where it is useable, but I would not try this recipe again because I'm not sure what went wrong. Did I dd too much sugar? Too little? Was it cooked for too long or not enough? Though as I said, the taste was good.

Can anyone tell me if this recipes comes out the same using splenda. I have a family full of diabetics and they still enjoy good food. Plus I live near Plant City Florida, where we have the sweetest strawberries in the world. If anyone could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Kim....Tried it with spenda, and it works very well. Just adjust to taste.

I made this Strawberry Jam and it was very delicious and very easy to make. My husband ate it all before my daughter and I got a chance to really have some on our toast. I lost my original recipe from this website but was very happy that I found it again. Excellent!!!

I have made this jam for several years now........the first two years it was runny.......I found out last year that the key is bringing it up to 220 degrees on a candy thermometer for at least 2 minutes........now everything is great! This year I used 3 instead of 4 cups of sugar......I like it better!

I made this jam last night and it was the first time I attempted to make jam. It came out perfectly. For those that don't know. Make sure and sterilize the jars in boiling water for 10 min. then pour the jam in the containers and seal and then I placed back in the boiling water for 5 minutes to ensure it lasts longer. I cut the strawberries in half and then mushed them with the bottom of a drinking glass, it worked really well. I am giving them away as holiday gifts, it was so easy!

This was my very first attempt at making any kind of jam or jelly. I've been too scared to try to in the past. But this recipe seemed so easy, and I had to use up these strawberries, so I went for it. It turned out so beautifully and delish! I made only one change: Instead of 1/4 cup of lemon juice I used a 1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice and a tiny bit of orange zest, as I didn't have any lemons. It took about 20 minutes of boiling to reach the jelly stage. Mine did set up nicely and spreads beautifully. I can't wait to make more for family and friends.

Awesome! FYI, re: Boiling over. If you add about 1/2-1 tsp of butter to it before it boils it will not froth and/or boil over. If you MUST use a vegetable oil, add coconut oil or organic olive oil, but absolutely NOT margarine, canola or any other toxic rancid oil. Btw, I added only 3 cups sugar and it was plenty, and very coarsely mashed the strawberries for more of a preserves-type feel with strawberry chunks in it (we love that).

Though I like fresh fruit better, this jam is the best jam I've ever tasted-but way way way way way way way way way way too sweet! i cut the sugar in half, and it improved a little. overall, a pretty good jam!

Reduced sugar to 3 cups and still too sweet. Boiled until it reached 220 degrees. Poured into hot jars and turned upside down to seal for about 15 minutes. Placed in fridge overnight to set. When I opened one jar to try it out it had become a thick completely un-spreadable chunk of jam. Have to warm it in the microwave to make it spreadable. Any ideas as to what went wrong?

I LOVE this jam. Why bother buying from the store when jam can be this good.

I made 2 different batches of jam. Didn't firm up. Is there something that I should have done? I did use a food processor to cut up and smash the strawberries so I don't know if that had anything to do with it.

I used 2.5 cups sugar and it was perfectly sweet. I have successfully used this in other recipes such as jam thumbprints and as a tart filling. To get 4 cups of mashed strawberries I used the whole 2lb. box minus about 1.5 cups of strawberries. I chopped these up coarsely and added them to give the jam some texture and chunkiness.

Great flavor on this. I did cut the sugar to 3 cups. My only complaint is that this is almost too soft. It could be poured out of the jar, in fact it would be great over ice cream! What I made has to be spooned out of the jar. Don't know if that is the intent of the finished product or not - but still very tasty!

Made this recipe this morning. Was very easy used a food processor to crush (in several batches). Tasted great going into jars and looks like will setup but even if its syrup that would be ok with us. We use more syrup than Jam anyway.

Excellent recipe and tastes amazing. I had so much strawberry that I doubled the recipe and it came out great. I cut the sugar down to 3 instead of 4 cups and it was sweet enough. Do not be tempted to stop boiling before you reach 220 though. I stopped at about 115 degrees and it was a little watery, even though it passed the jelling test. Even though this was the first time I ever made jam of any kind, it tasted so good that I actually divided it in jars and gave to family and friends. Do use a deep pot for it, it really bubbles over when it starts to boil. Keep your kitchen door open when you make it and the house will smell like strawberries for sometime.. sweet :)

Good and pretty easy - make sure you use a BIG pot, it nearly quadruples in volume while boiling. Even gentle stirring caused it to sputter out of the pot.

My kids and I had a wonderful time preparing this simply delicious recipe. It's lip-smacking good! When strawberries are in season here in California, it's a real treat to pull off the highway and buy a flat fresh off the field. We enjoy most of them in the car and on the beach, but the ones that don't get eaten usually go bad within a day or two. This recipe was an excellent way to put those sweet, juicy strawberries to use. I used half the sugar the recipe called for since the strawberries were so sweet on their own. A+!

Un-freaking-believable! This is so, so good; I want to eat it out of bowl all by itself! We used strawberries that had been freshly picked in Ventura, CA; the area is the strawberry capital. It has such a fresh, clean flavor! I took the suggestion of one reviewer and threw in the rind of the lemon that I had juiced. Also, I didn't have a working thermometer, but I let it boil ten minutes and then started the plate test. After about 15 minutes, it was ready to go. Perfect!!!

My husband said, "This is the best strawberry jam I have ever tasted." It did not burn because I used a Pampered Chef pan. I used only 3 cups of sugar and it set well. Amazing!

I gave my sister this recipe and she won first place at the county fair! The only thing she did differently was to add a pat of butter when the jam started frothing. This recipe it so good that I gave it out for Christmas gifts this year! Thanks!

Although I used a thermometer, my jam was always 5 degrees shy of what it should be. The colour was great and it was slightly thick so I poured it in my jars. The jam thickened upon cooling and after a few days was the perfect consistency. Everyone loved this jam and although it started out really sweet, the flavours mellowed over time. Would make this again! 2 pints of berries made about 4 - 1/2 pint jars of jam.

While I've been making freezer jam for years, this was my first attempt at canning. I shared travails with other reviewers. I got spit on (OUCH!), and while I stirred the entire 20 minutes except for the plate in the freezer thing and the spoon in ice water thing, it scorched. I ran over 20 minutes and then all of a sudden it was too thick. And what a sticky mess! This was really just canning practice and that went well, so I'm not upset that my 3 8 oz. jars of jam are probably inedible. This process is just not cost effective...I'll go back to freezer jam. Three stars because a lot of the failings were mine.

Took almost an hour to reach temp. Once I turned the burner all the way up, with jam boiling like crazy, finally reached temp. Using the plate test, jam did not get thick enough until temp reached 220F. Don't be afraid of burning it, just keep stirring. Excellent flavor, but way too sweet, will cut sugar in half next time.

I thought it was great. I read the reviews and I used 2 and 3/4 cups of sugar. I think it depends on peoples tastes so I recommend that you start with 2 cups and taste it and add more sugar until you get to your perfect taste. My jam came out a little thin but I think I didn't boil it a a consistant temp. for long enough. I also have a new stove that I am still getting used to cooking with :) Enjoy!!!

Super easy, I was tired of letting my strawberries go bad, found this recipe and it was great!!!!my first time making jam and it turned out great...

Excellent! I only had half the amount of fruit called for so I made a half batch. I can taste the lemon too, but I don't mind it. Almost as good as my moms! I would make this again. It really is simple and well worth the time involved. I used a digital thermometer to get to 220. It took a lot longer than I thought it would, so be patient. These preserves are wonderful on hot biscuits with warm butter. YUMMY! !!!UPDATE!!! First, the lemon flavor was gone by the next day. It set perfectly! And is nearly all gone in just a couple days. I just used the same basic recipe for cherry jam. Worked great and is DELISH!!! THANKS AGAIN!!!

Easy recipe. I used enough strawberries to make 4 cups, mashed, and then we pureed them because my son didn't want chunks. We used only 2 cups of sugar and it was plenty sweet. We boiled for about 12 minutes, and the jam set up perfectly. We have one container in the fridge for now, and will freeze the rest. Delicious!

Great, easy recipe. My mom suggested adding a couple of pads of butter to help with the frothing that happens during the cook time. Worked like a charm. I did cut back on the sugar to 3 cups as I found 4 cups too sweet.

A great standard recipe to use with any types of berries. I made two batches. One with fresh organic strawberries and another with frozen organic mix berries (strawberries, raspberries and black berries). In both cases, I reduced the sugar to 3 cups and added 1 tsp. of butter to eliminate foam. After bringing it to a roiling boil, I reduced the the temperature and zapped it a few times with my hand blender to pulverize some of the fruit. Then I simmered until it reduced to a thick glazy sauce. Boiling it at too high a temperature creates tons of splatter and may burn the jam. In the end, mine set with no problems and tastes heavenly!

Very yummy, very spreadable jam. We really like this jam, and I will definitely make it again!

I'm hoping this jam sets in the fridge. I did the 'plate' test & the line seemed to stay, so I poured the jam in to my jars. I did only boil though for 15 minutes. I was afraid to reboil in case I took the flavour out of the jam. So far I have lovely syrup for ice cream sundaes! I am wondering if the fact that I only used 3 cups of sugar versus the 4 cups has made a difference in the consistency???

very fresh and tasty! super easy too! I decreased the sugar by 1 cup, and it turned out perfect.

This was very tasty! I have never made jam before and I was surprised at how easy it was to make. I never got it to the 220 degrees. I called it done when it was nice and thick and looked like jam. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

Delishious. Make sure to heat to the required temp, or jam will be runny. Comes out of the freezer well too.

I'm gonna cut back on the sweetness for next time but a very simple nice jam.

I'm making this recipe today for the THIRD time!! I LOVE IT! I got the biggest compliment, EVER when my 21 yr old son said "when I open this jar, it's just like Grandma is still here! It's JUST LIKE HERS!!" I just about cried, how wonderful being compared to a Grandma's cooking!! ?? ??

awesome recipe!

This is the best jam recipe I've ever found. I've made three batches and each one turned out perfectly. I did reduce the amount of sugar by about 1/4 cup because my family prefers less sweet jam. I do advise following the freezer plate method as this worked out well.

Wow, this is wonderful, fresh bright taste, brilliant color, perfect texture, thanks for the recipe and recommendation to use the freezer test method, worked like a charm. Only used 2.5 cups of sugar too.

I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I just hate messing around with pectin, and my freezer jams usually go amuck. I was so pleased with this recipe... the plate and freezer trick worked like a charm. Now this is how I make all of my fruit preserves. You need much less sugar this was too. If your jam is runny it just means that you need to boil it more. It usually takes about two hours of boiling for me.

Giving fours stars b/c really it needs only three cups of sugar, I like sugar don't get me wrong, but four cups was too much and mine set great, maybe a bit too thick, but I refridgerated it and I bet if you let it sit out to room temp before serving it would be perfect. Loved the ease of this recipe. Used a thermometer to reach 220.

Very nice jam recipe. Make sure you stir it constantly to prevent scorching. I did two batches, I think I burned one batch slightly, it has a slight smokey aftertaste. The second batch turned out great.

I offered to make jelly for my friends country wedding, and I used this recipe. I used frozen mix berries. I read through most of the comments, and did the following; used two cups of sugar, 1/8 cup of butter when it started to foam, the plate test, and using the rind, and turned jars upside down. I washed the jars in the dishwasher on the highest temp, and kept them on dry, to keep hot. It didn't foam, splatter or stick to the bottom. I stirred the whole time, was ready at the first plate test, which was about 15 minutes. It smelled amazing. I have to let other people taste it to see how it tastes, and set, but it was so easy I should be able to make 60 jars of jam in a day or two.

This was my first time making jam. It turned out great! I did cut back on the sugar a little but I followed the rest of the recipe exactly.

With only the addition of a Tbsp of butter to minimize the bubbles, I followed this recipe as directed. I was a little apprehensive as I have only ever made jelly before, and then I used Certo pectin. As suggested by other reviewers, I gradually increased the heat and did the freezer plate test 10 minutes after it reached a full rolling boil. I ended up using all three plates, about two minutes apart, until I felt I had a good result. Now I'm sitting here with a little grin for each lid I hear pop as it seals shut. I wiped out the pan with some bread and yes, it's sweet, but it's GOOD! Already the jam was thickening up nicely even as it cooled in the pan bottom.

Thank you so much for this easy recipe! We are now enjoying fresh jelly all the time! It's so easy I just make it as we need it. It jelled perfectly when I mashed the strawberries like you said instead of putting them in the food processor. Thanks again!

This was my first attempt at making strawberry jam and it turned out great even though I halved the recipe and used agave syrup instead of sugar. and since I was experimenting anyway, I also added a dash of raspberry infused white balsamic vinegar.

this recipe was very watery, and far to sweet.

Super easy and perfect recipe as is. I have made this jam many times. I give the berries a quick pulse in the blender. I start the mixture on low to medium heat and gradually increase the temp to high. After it comes to a rolling boil I dial it back just a smidge. I use a thermometer to make sure it doesn't go over the temp, but since I read and used the tip about reducing until it's a deep maroon color I don't think I need it anymore. You can tell at that point that it's beginning to thicken. Great recipe!

Perfect. I did lessen the amount of sugar. I also used all organic strawberries and organis sugar, organic really is better tasting as well. Plus if you have at least 1/3 of under ripe strawberries, than it will have more natural pecin and not be so hard to thicken. Generally it takes about 40 minutes of boiling. Then, like i said depending on the strawberries, you may want to let them cool, then cook them again to a boil. The boil, cool, boil method also extracts more natural pecin from the strawberries as well. I loved this jam. I will make this as Christmas gifts.

I boiled it 15 minutes because I used half the amount of sugar. I did the plate test to see when it was ready and it worked perfectly. It's just like the jam my Mom used to make. I like this recipe because it makes a smaller amount.

I absolutely LOVE this jam. It's the best I've ever had!!! Thanks sooo much for the recipe!

The recipe was excellent! I used 3 c. of sugar with 4 c. strawberries that I pureed in a blender, along with the amount of lemon juice that is called for in the recipe. I was a little hesitant about making this since I've never canned before. Unfortunately, my jam burnt. I got 3 half-pint jars out of this before I stopped because it was clearly burnt. I think next time, I'll do what someone else suggested - make sure I have a heavy bottomed pot, and bring the mixture up to a boil slowly. Thanks for the recipe...we just finished it up on some ice cream!

I am a guy who doesn't know how to cook. On a whim I went and picked some strawberries and made jam with this recipe. Well, actually I ended up using half the amount of sugar as I didn't know how to measure with the cups in our kitchen! It turned out superb. So the only change I'd recommend is - use half the sugar!! :) Thank you for such a simple recipe that worked so well. It was easy and the jam is delicious. Can I use the same recipe for plums? Or do I need to search for a simple recipe like this one?

This was WONDERFUL! My 3 y/o daughter won't stop eating it! Very simple recipe.

Whoa! Who knew you could make jam this easily! Instead of using fresh strawberries, I used thawed "frozen mixed berries". Following the advice of other reviewers, only 1 1/8 cups of sugar provided the perfect sweetness.(I can't imagine the sweetness factor with 4 cups! Yikes!!) So I cooked it, at a rolling boil, for about 20 minutes. Didn't use a thermometer or do a plate test. It was easy to tell it was cooked down enough, just by looking at it. After refrigerating it for a couple hours, it thickened up beautifully. Tastes great on toasted fresh baked bread. Mmmm.... Oh, I should mention that when it's boiling, it splatters like crazy, so wear grungy clothes that you don't mind getting stained. Protective oven mitts might not be a bad idea either if you don't want your hands splattered with boiling jam. Ow!

This was my first time to make jam and it turned out great! I couldn't believe how relatively easy this was. This made 4 1/2 half pint jars for me. I already have requests to make for some friends. Thanks for sharing!!

Definately one of the easiest ways to make Jam that I have come across. Just made it tonight in about a 2 hours or so. I noticed a lot of people had trouble with boil over. As you bring to a rolling boil, have a spoon ready and skim off the foam bit by bit into a small container. Also once you're at a rolling boil, you can turn the heat down just a touch to keep the jam inside your pot. I have a gas stove so it's easier to control. Hope this helps...and thanks for the recipe!

easy to do and so yummy.

Thankyou for such a great recipe. I am trying my hand in making jam for the first time and it is soo yummy. I let it boil for more time and it became little thick, not runnyas others said. I am going to buy some more strawberries and make more jam and freeze them.Now who needs store bought jam.

I prepared this by the directions. After reading the issue others were having with consistency, I (perhaps) overcooked mine. Even though I stirred constantly, I think there is a bit of burnt flavor. Oh, and be cause I couldn't find this anywhere else - this recipe yielded a little over two cups for me.

I have never made homemade jam before and this turned out awesome. Tastes good and looks just like the picture! My strawberries were fresh picked and really sweet so I only used 3 cups of sugar.

This is a simple, wonderful recipe. It gelled beautifully, and my son has already made toast so he could try it out! Definitely use a heavy bottomed pot, and make sure it is a big one because the rolling boil stage will overflow a smaller pot.

This is sooooooo good! We picked strawberries yesterday and I made this recipe today. Delicious! Next time I will cut the sugar down by half, since it was super sweet (due to the berries being so ripe, I'm sure!). MMMMMM, good!

This is great! The jam set up better after 24 hours in the frig. Make sure that you test it like the recipe says. I did not have a thermometer and it still worked! Really not much runnier then normal store jam. We have to buy the expensive jams as my daughter is allergic to corn - what a treat and money saver this is for us!

fantastic! I started with strawberries and realized I didn't have enough so I added blackberries and it turned out amazing. The lemon juice really adds a distinct flavor. i will make this over and over.

Fantastic recipe! I really needed a recipe withough pectin because you can't buy it where I live. This is great. Although I did puree the strawberries instead of mashing because I don't like chunks of fruit in my jam/jelly. The plate in the freezer trick... genius!