Spectacular strawberries

The strawberries are coming in like gangbusters from patches all over the South. If you live in a place where you can pick your own, you must make a trip to the farm. Growing up in Norfolk, Va., I have fond memories of strawberry picking at various farms in Princess Anne County (many of those farms no longer exist, as the city of Virginia Beach has expanded and developed). Going to the Pungo Strawberry Festival is a special joy and a reason to celebrate agriculture, small towns and this delectable berry.

The truth about strawberries in my household: My husband cannot eat them. My children dearly love them in all variations: pies, jam, fruit salad or rinsed and popped in their mouths. My mother-in-law has been known to eat an entire jar of my strawberry-banana jam, given a quiet afternoon and a spoon.

When I learned to can in 1999, I started out using powdered pectin to thicken my jams and jellies. Pectin is naturally occurring in fruit, especially apples. If cooked slow and long, fruits will thicken on their own, but the added pectin gives jams and jellies a hand. I later switched to liquid pectin, which comes in foil pouches. I love the softer set jams and jellies get from the liquid pectin.

There are countless variations for strawberry jam, but I have always used the Sure-Jell recipe that comes with the pectin pouch. Here are the basics:

What You Need
5 cups prepared fruit (about 2 quarts fully ripe strawberries)
1 box SURE.JELL Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp. butter or margarine (optional)
7 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

Make It
BRING boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.

STEM and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 5 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-quart saucepot.

STIR pectin into prepared fruit in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming, if desired. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.

LADLE immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middle of lid with finger. (If lid springs back, lid is not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Complete recipe information and photos are here.