This is my very favorite jam. Partly because it’s delicious. Mostly because it’s easy to make and foolproof. It’s a real letdown to waste your time making a batch of jam or jelly that doesn’t set up. How well I know. This jam has never failed me, so when something works, I stick with it. Plus it’s a nice festive red so it makes a nice little gift at Christmas time.
40 ounces frozen unsweetened strawberries, thawed
1 pound fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
5 pounds sugar
2 pouches (3 ounces each) liquid pectin
Grind the strawberries and cranberries in a food processor or blender, and put them in a large pot or Dutch oven. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for one minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the pectin, and return to a full rolling boil. Boil one minute more, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes while you skim off the foam. I use a flat spatula to drag in into a puddle, and skim it off with a spoon. Ladle the jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims, put on the lids and screw the bands down until just barely finger tight. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.
NOTES:
You don’t have to sterilize the jars, just make sure they’re clean. The point of having hot jars is so they don’t break when you pour in the hot jam. I just run them through the dishwasher on the sanitizer cycle, or you can boil them.
You don’t have to have a boiling water canner. I just use a tamale pot with a wire insert to keep the jar up from direct contact with the bottom of the pot. Get the water boiling before you cook the jam. Have enough water so the jars are submerged about two inches below the surface. You can heat your jars in the water bath if you want, then just drain them right before filling. I just like the dishwasher method because it’s less messy.
I also put the lids in simmering water to warm them up as well. The metal bands you screw the lids down with don’t have to be heated.