Organic Strawberry (No-Cook) Freezer Jam

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

I think I may be more excited about this recipe than any other recipe I have prepared thus far. I started the morning out thinking that I would do absolutely nothing in the kitchen today but the day took a turn when I walked into the living room and looked up at the TV. Brad had just turned the channel to "Gardening with Ciscoe" and Ciscoe was doing a segment on a strawberry jam recipe that was created by one of the chefs at PCC Natural Markets. Brad and I were both hooked right away but for different reasons. Brad was interested because he loves strawberry jam; especially Stonewall Kitchen Strawberry Jam. I was hooked as soon as I heard them say that this recipe required no cooking. What? A canning recipe that you don't have to cook? Unbelievable. I purchased all of the necessary canning paraphanalia last year but never got around to canning anything. Every time I considered beginning the process, I became overwhelmed. Needless to say, a no-cook canning recipe was a dream come true.

I immediately set out for the West Seattle Farmer's Market to purchase a 1/2 flat of organic strawberries. I usually take Olivia with me but I meant business today so I went by myself. I found some beautiful berries as well as additional produce (including sunflower sprouts which are protein-packed and one of my new favorite salad fixings), fresh cheese, a vegan curry soup, vegan salted caramel sauce, and peonies for the kitchen table. It was actually the best Farmer's Market day I have ever experienced. There was so much to choose from! Anyway, I bought the strawberries so I was officially ready to begin preparing the jam. I am cheating a bit with my entry today because I am cutting and pasting the recipe. There is a lot of good information the way it is written so I decided not to reinvent the wheel. I am also including a link to the "Gardening with Ciscoe" segment which can be watched as a tutorial:

http://www.king5.com/on-tv/gardening/Organic-Strawberry-Freezer-Jam-123686469.html

Ingredients:

5-6 cups fresh organic strawberries
1 1/2-2 cups sugar or 1 cup honey
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (optional)
1 box Pomona's Universal Pectin (available in the baking section at PCC)
3/4 cup water
Canning jars with lids and screw rings

Note: Pomona's Universal Pectin is a delightful all natural product derived from lemon and orange peel (a great source of naturally occurring pectin). It aids in the gelling of the strawberries and many other fruits which are very low in natural pectin. Pomona's also contains a small package of natural calcium (just like the dietary supplement) which helps activate the pectin. This allows you to prepare your jam with as little additional sugar or sweetener as you wish. (Some apple based pectins require much more sugar to set the pectin.) Here are the directions from the box of Pomona's Universal Pectin which I have revised with the correct amounts for the above recipe.

Make calcium water:
1. Mix 1/2 teaspoon white calcium powder and 1/2 cup water in a small, clear jar with lid.
2. Store in refrigerator between uses. Lasts a number of months-discard if settled white powder discolors.
3. Shake well before using.

To make the Jam:
1. Wash and rinse jars; bring to a boil in a large pot, turn down heat and let stand in hot water. In a smaller pot, bring lids and rings to boil; turn down heat; let stand in hot water. (You may sterilize the jars in your dishwasher if you have a high heat setting)

2. Prepare the strawberries by washing and capping them. Chop them roughty and then mash them well. Measure 4 cups of mashed berries into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar or honey and lemon juice if you are using it.

3. Bring the water to a boil in a small sauce pan and pour it into a blender or food processor. Add 3 teaspoons pectin powder and blend for about a minute or until the pectin is fully dissolved.

4. Add the hot pectin to the fruit in the mixing bowl.

5. Stir 4 teaspoons calcium water into fruit. A jell should appear. If not, add 1 teaspoon more at a time, tirring well, until a jell appears. It will be a soft jell.

6. Fill jars to 1/2" of top. (The jam will expand as it freezes.) Wipe rims clean. Screw on 2-piece lids.

7. Freeze the jam until ready to use. After opening, keep it in your refregerator and eat it within 2 weeks.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Lovejoy

This jam is fantastic! The color is gorgeous, the recipe works exactly as it is designed to work and it tastes like fresh strawberries. I opted not to use lemon juice and used 1 1/2 cups of sugar but I am sure the jam would also be delicious with honey. The Pomona's Pectin is easy to prepare and I love how the natural calcium activates the pectin instead of the pectin being activated by sugar. Isn't that just the coolest thing? Brad was in charge of the taste test as I was adding sugar and he is thrilled with the final result. The recipe made 11 small jars of jam which are now sitting in our freezer. This was fun, fun, fun. I highly recommend trying this canning method. Please keep in mind that you can use any fruit or berry you choose. I am now waiting for blackberries to appear at the Farmer's Market so I can use the same process to make blackberry freezer jam. This canning process may be the catalyst for a jam-making extravaganza!