Homemade Honey Sweetened Strawberry Jam

After googling some strawberry jam recipes, along with some instruction from the pectin package, I came up with this super simple and delicious strawberry jam recipe. Not even sure I can take any credit here really... Just reporting what I did and sharing it with you all.

I wanted to use honey because raw honey mixed with fruit is just a fabulous match. Plus, honey to me seems like what a great grandma would do back in the day if she picked berries from her own field and collected honey from her own beehive. And, since I aspire to be an ol' great grandma someday ;) I decided that honey was my sweetener of choice for my jam. I know you can go sweetener-less or try even stevia extract or powder if you prefer, but I decided to try it this round with some local honey.

I bought this (Pomona's Universal Pectin). Which is pretty important if you plan on using no sugar, and want it to be like jam. Also, it has no preservatives but helps the jam stay fresh after being canned because of the amount of citric acid and pectin.

Homemade Honey Sweetened Strawberry Jam Recipe 
(all ingredients are in bold below)

First step, I washed and crushed 16 cups of whole strawberries (around 4 heaping quarts) with my bare hands (in two batches). Don't dice the strawberries because this will cause too much separation in your jam (berries on top, jelly on the bottom). Then I put the crushed berries in a very large (8.5 quart) pot on low heat with 4 squeezed limes over top and mixed through (or use 2 large lemons). Mix well and add some of the citrus zest if you prefer more flavor.

Second, add 1 1/2- 2 cups of honey to the warming strawberries. Then in the liquid of the lime juice and honey pour in 8 ts. of pectin powder (about the whole packet of the pectin which equals 8-9 ts. of powder) and 8 ts. of the calcium water solution (that is included in the pectin box mixed with water in a pint jar and then saved in the fridge for later use). Then mix well or use a whisk to guarantee that you mix all of the pectin and calcium water thoroughly into the strawberries.

Then after the strawberries start to bubble and boil, turn off the heat and let them cool for just a few minutes. Then pour the hot strawberry jam into 8 sterilized pint-sized jars or 16 8-ounce jars (that are ready to use on the counter on a clean towel). I use wide-mouth jars so to scoop out jam easier later on. Then use wet paper towel to clean the rims and sides and then use a magnetic top gripper and place each lid with the seal over the jam jar. Then use a towel and place each screw top on each lid and turn the screw top over the lid tight on the jar. Then in a traditional canning pot full of boiling water (or use a very large kitchen pot with boiling water) place 4-6 jars at a time and boil non-stop for 10 minutes. Make sure the jars are not touching and that they are submerged under the water by 2 inches.

After boiling for 10 minutes, then you can pull with a canning gripper utensil the HOT jars from the boiling water and place on a clean kitchen towel on an open space on the counter. Let cool for 8-10 hours and then check to see that the lids have sealed properly by not being able to snap or pop the lid into the jam. The lid should be stiff and not be able to make any sound when touched.

Keep in a cool place in the pantry to eat over the next year! Yummmmmmy.

You can obviously half this recipe if you do not want to make 8 pint-sized jars of jam. Or get another box of pectin and double the batch if you have the strawberries! I made 2 batches and have 16 jars to savour.

Then you can make this yummy biscuit recipe, or this one, or even this oldie, and top with some yummy homemade jam. Or use some of that jam with some leftover fresh strawberries to make this yummy dessert. Homemade strawberry jam without a huge sugar hit will make you so happy! Trust me, with fresh picked strawberries you do not need all that sugar. Honey is a very nice match to the strawberries and I love how it all turned out.

The best part is that I have lots of jam jars saved in the basement pantry to enjoy all winter long (here's to hoping I save enough for the winter months and don't eat it all before then!)

Well friends, that is how I made strawberry jam sweetened with honey and lime. What is your favorite way to make homemade strawberry jam, and what is your favorite gluten-free treat to top with some jam?

I hope you enjoy! And, if you haven't be able to get some of those fresh strawberries yet then I suggest you head to your local farmer's market very soon or even check out some local farms to see if you can pick your own before the season is gone. Hurry up though, because the season will be gone before you know it!

Much love as always!