Canning Strawberry Lemonade Jam (2024)

FAQs

Does strawberry jam need to be pressure canned? ›

Can You Pressure Can Strawberry Jam? Strawberry jam should not be pressure canned because it will not be able to survive the process. The excess heat involved in pressure canning will break the gel, and the jam will be too runny.

Prepare a water bath canner, jars, lids, and rings before beginning. The canner should be preheated for hot pack, and it should be simmering at around 180 to 190 F when the jars are loaded. Lemonade and lemonade concentrate can be canned in half pints, pints, or quart jars.

It's Not Only About Pectin

There's another reason why lemon juice is added to most jam recipes: for safe canning and to prevent the growth of bacteria. Bringing the pH level down means jars can be sealed in a regular boiling water bath in a reasonable amount of time (sometimes as little as 10 minutes).

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it's set! You can also let the spoonful of jam sit on the cold plate for 30 seconds and then push it with your spoon or finger. If it wrinkles up, you've reached your setting point.

The USDA guidelines say that if you plan to water bath process your jam or jelly for at least 10 minutes, it isn't necessary to sterilize empty jars prior to filling. Since all of our recipes call for processing for at least 10 minutes, sterilization prior to filling is not required.

Fresh lemons, however, have an inconsistent acid, or pH, level. This can vary within the same variety of lemons, but also vary due to maturity, growing conditions, soil, fertilizer, rootstock, and storage conditions. While safe to eat fresh for a great meal, they are not the safe choice for food preservation.

The answer is, it is generally cheaper to buy lemonade than to make it. As an example, you can buy a 7-cup carton of Newman's Own on Peapod.com for $2.29 and spend about $6 on ingredients to make about the same volume of homemade lemonade. That is more than double the price of the store-bought lemonade.

THE LEMONADE

Find a spot where you're allowed to set up a stand and where you see a lot of foot traffic. Set a price for your lemonade that's around $0.25-$1.00. Then, make an inviting, colorful sign that advertises your lemonade. Talk to people as they walk by and politely ask them if they want a cup of lemonade.

Replace the lemon juice with an equal quantity of another acid, such as balsamic vinegar, lime juice, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or sherry vinegar.

What is a substitute for lemon juice in canning? ›

1. Lime juice. Lime juice is the best substitute for lemon juice, as it can be used as a one-to-one replacement and has a very similar taste and acidity level ( 5 ). In fact, when canning or preserving food, it's the ideal substitute for lemon juice because it has a similar pH level.

by Rachel Saunders of BLUE CHAIR FRUIT If you're making jam, marmalade or chutney, you can skip the steamy water bath canning process and use the heat of the oven to sterilize and seal your jars. Note: this method is not safe for other types of preserved foods.

Sugar: Four cups of white sugar sweetens the jam, thickens the jam, and acts as a preservative. Lemon juice: Lemon juice is essential for getting the pectin to gel properly, setting the jam. It also helps prevent the growth of bacteria.

No extra pectin– You may wonder if strawberry jam is better with or without pectin. Strawberries are naturally low in pectin, so some people prefer to add additional pectin to jams and jellies. However, I actually prefer homemade jam without extra pectin. They are a bit softer in texture, making it more versatile.

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

REMEMBER: If you are canning low-acid foods such as vegetables, broth, and meats, you WILL need a pressure canner. However, if you are canning high acid foods like jams and jellies, fruits (like canning peaches), applesauce, pickles, etc., you can use safely and confidently water-bath canning.

Quick Jam. If you're making fruit jam at home and skipping the canning process, what is often called quick jam or freezer jam, store in the fridge or freezer to preserve, and be aware that it should be consumed within 10 days if refrigerated and 3 months if frozen.

Jam does not need to be canned; if you can consume it within a month, you can store it in the refrigerator without it going bad. But if you make a lot of jam, or want to save it to make jam-filled cookies or another winter baking project when fresh fruit is nowhere to be found, you should preserve it.

Place lids on jars, screw on rings and lower jars back into the pot of boiling water. The water should cover the jars; if not, add more. Boil jars for 10 minutes. Transfer jars to a folded towel and allow to cool for 12 hours; you should hear them making a pinging sound as they seal.