Homemade Strawberry Jelly Tutorial

I have been on a jelly making kick recently and since my blackberry jelly turned out delicious I decided to make some strawberry since they were on sale. Also with my success I decided to do a little tutorial since I used no fancy equipment! I know there are a million recipes for jelly out there but if anyone who knows me wants to try there's no need to go searching. It's actually much easier than you think!


So here goes...

INGREDIENTS/ MATERIALS

2 - 1 pound boxes of strawberries
2-3 cups sugar
1 or 2 boxes of less/no sugar needed pectin (I would buy 2 in case you need to add more)
*this is usually found in the baking aisle or with canning supplies, brand names are Sure
Jell or Ball
8 oz canning jars (you can find boxes of these somewhere like Walmart or Kmart)
jar funnel/tongs/lid magnet (sold in a set -probably not necessary but makes life much easier)


TO DO BEFORE BEGINNING

You will need to wash or sanitize your jars before beginning. I find the easiest way to do this is to run them through the dishwasher. You could also just wash them by hand. When you don't sterilize you have to process them longer but I process them long enough to cover this extra anyway so it's not a big deal.

Also go ahead and cut the stem off of your strawberries and cut them into large pieces (whole strawberries would work too)


INSTRUCTIONS

1) Fill a small pan with water and put on low (not boiling). Place all your lids in here and let them stay until your ready for them. The lid is 2 separate pieces and you only need to place the lids not the rings.

2) Place your strawberries into a large saucepan and add 1 cup water.

3) Put heat on medium low and let simmer for about 10 mins until the strawberries are mushy and pale.

4) Take a potato masher or spoon and mash up the strawberries.

5) Take a mesh strainer and strain the juice out of the mixture. Use a spoon to help get the juice through the remaining pulp.

6) OPTIONAL - If you like smooth jelly then discard the pulp. What I like to do is put the pulp in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. This still results in pretty smooth jelly but your using the entire fruit. This may not be good for raspberries or blackberries where there are a lot of larger seeds but it works great for strawberries.

7) Add the sugar. I used about 1 3/4 cups but you could add more/less sugar according to your tastes. I was trying to add less sugar so it's a bit better for you. As you do this you will find out the jelly will set differently depending on how much sugar you use.

8) Stir in the sugar then add your pectin. You will use the entire packet. Start with only 1, you may end up using part of another box. I ended up using about 1 1/2 boxes. After you get everything stirred together simmer for about 10 mins until it thickens a bit and gets kinda foamy on top.

* TIP* - To test the jelliness of it (and decide if you need more pectin) place a spoon in the freezer to get it cold. Dip in the jelly mixture and let it come to room temperature. You can also place back in the freezer to speed up the process. Test the set to see if it gelled enough for you, if not add more pectin, let simmer a little longer and test again.


9) Fill your jars to within 1/2 inch of the top (this is where the jar funnel comes in handy). Place the lid on and then the ring. This made 6 - 8 ounce jars when completed.

10) Place a large pot about 1/2 full of water on stove and let it start to bubble. Put your jars in the water and make sure the water covers the entire jar. You may need to add more water after you add the jars. Let it come back up to a boil and let it boil 10-15 mins.

11) Take jars out of the pot (this is where the jar tongs come in handy) and allow to cool overnight to assure they are cooled to room temperature.


12) ENJOY!!

This is a great way to make wholesome jelly without all the added ingredients and sugar. What I like is that you use fresh fruit and control the amount of sugar in it. I can't wait for the spring/summer when fruit is in season. It's also very budget friendly especially when you buy fruit that's in season and inexpensive. A little yields a lot!

I plan on doing a TON of canning come summer and fall making everything from jelly to applesauce and spaghetti sauce!