If you didn’t catch my jam-making segment on “207” last night, here it is!  Enjoy!

Video copyright “207”, WCSH6, Portland, Maine

Honeyed Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam
Excerpted from Preserving with Pomona’s Pectin by Allison Carroll Duffy (Fairwinds Press, 2013)

Before You Begin:
Prepare calcium water.  To do this, combine 1/2 teaspoon calcium powder (in the small packet in your box of Pomona’s pectin) with 1/2 cup water in a small, clear jar with a lid. Shake well.  Extra calcium water may be stored in the refrigerator for future use.

Yield: 4 to 5 half-pint (8-ounce, or 236 ml) jars

Ingredients:
1 pound strawberries (or, about 1 quart)
1 pound trimmed rhubarb stalks (or, about 4 cups medium dice)
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons calcium water
1 1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 teaspoons Pomona’s Pectin powder

Directions:

1.) Wash your jars, lids, and bands. Place jars in canner, fill canner 2/3 full with water, bring canner to a rolling boil, and boil jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them. (Add 1 extra minute of sterilizing time for every 1000 feet above sea level.) Reduce heat and allow jars to remain in hot canner water until ready to use. Place lids in water in a small sauce pan, heat to a low simmer, and hold until ready to use.

2.) Rinse strawberries, remove stems, and mash in a large bowl. Set aside.

3.) Rinse rhubarb, slice stalks lengthwise into thin strips, and then dice. Combine diced rhubarb in a sauce pan with the 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat, and then simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, or until rhubarb is soft, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and mash rhubarb.

4.) Measure 2 cups (473 ml) of the mashed strawberries and 2 cups (473 ml) of the mashed rhubarb (saving any extra for another use), and combine measured quantities in a sauce pan with lemon juice and calcium water. Mix well.

5.) In a separate bowl, combine honey and pectin powder.  Mix thoroughly and set aside.

6.) Bring fruit mixture to a full boil over high heat. Slowly add the pectin-honey mixture, stirring constantly. Continue to stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve pectin while the jam comes back up to a boil. Once the jam returns to a full boil, remove it from the heat.

7: Can Your Jam: Remove jars from canner and ladle jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove trapped air bubbles, wipe rims with a damp cloth, put on lids and screw bands, and tighten to fingertip tight. Lower filled jars into canner, ensuring jars are not touching each other and are covered with at least 1 to 2 inches of water. Place lid on canner, return to a rolling boil, and process for 10 minutes. (Add 1 extra minute of processing time for every 1000 feet above sea level). Turn off heat and allow canner to sit untouched for 5 minutes, then remove jars and allow to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Confirm that jars have sealed, then store properly.

Please Note:
As an alternative to canning your jam, you may instead freeze or refrigerate it.  To do this, simply omit the canning portion of the directions (steps 1 & 7), then, after cooking, allow your jam to cool, place in clean, freezer-safe containers, and freeze or refrigerate as desired.  If you are freezing your jam,  be sure to leave extra space at the top of your jars to allow for expansion during freezing. Your jam will store well in the freezer for several months, and in the refrigerator it will last for 2 to 3 weeks.