Strawberry Freezer Jam

When I married my husband, I realized that one of the items on the dinner table every Sunday was homemade strawberry jam. The jam HAD to be on the table and family members would point out when it wasn't there. It was almost more important than the salt and pepper, really. I didn't grow up having homemade jam, so it wasn't special to me--until I tasted it. Can I just say- There is nothing like homemade strawberry freezer jam. And, do you want to know the best part? It's so easy! I made 5 batches of jam today in under 2 hours. Amazing!

Here are the ingredients in the picture to the left. Strawberries (about 2 pounds per batch), sugar, lemon juice, and Pectin. (I prefer the "liquid pectin") Some people use a blender to chop the strawberries, and that is great if you have a powerful blender. I don't, so I use a mini-food processor that cost about $7 at Walmart.

Here's my mini-food processor, below. Cut the stems off the strawberries, and then cut the strawberries in half. Blend the strawberries to your liking. Some like chunks of berries, others like it completely blended. I'm a completely blended type of girl. Measure out 2 cups of the blended berries. I just keep adding the crushed berries from the processor little by little until I have enough for one batch. *Only do one batch at a time, or it won't work--trust me, I've tried before!*

Mix the 2 cups of strawberries with 4 cups of sugar. (I know, it's a lot! Why do you think it's so good?!) Let it stand for about 10 minutes, then add two Tablespoons of lemon juice and one package of pectin. Stir for three minutes. Then, pour into individual containers.

I made 5 batches of jam and came out with 7 containers full. I used about 9 pounds of strawberries, so the recipe ended up taking a little more than 2 pounds of strawberries per batch. Refrigerate the jam until set, then freeze for up to 1 year.