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1
In a large sauce pan, mash the strawberries with a fork or a potato masher.
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2
Just try to do a bit at a time, other wise you'll miss some of them.
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3
Combine sugar substitute with the pectin, salt, and a tsp of butter (to reduce foaming), and mix into the strawberry mush.
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4
Put on stove and turn the burner to high heat.
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5
This is when I added about half of the water, and some of the lemon juice.
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6
Don't stop stirring, or it may burn.
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7
I let this boil away for quite a long time.
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8
I'd say at least ten minutes, until I couldn't stir it down from the boil.
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9
I also added the rest of the water, and lemon juice closer to the end, simply to change the taste and consistency.
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10
I took it off the heat, waited about two minutes, skimmed the top off, and canned it.
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11
*CANNING TIP*
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12
I like to can so that I can store food for a longer time.
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13
To do this, boil your mason jars before you use them, lids shouldn't be boiled.
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14
Just keep them in a sink of CLEAN HOT water until ready to use (I put the jars in too, to keep them sterile after boiling).
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15
Then, put a deep pot on the stove with water to boil.
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16
Take as many jars as you can fit into the pot, fill them with your hot jam almost to the top (about 1/4 inch)- IMPORTANT- WIPE THE TOP OF THE JAR COMPLETELY CLEAN, and tighten the lid, but NOT all the way.
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17
Just a bit more closed than open.
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18
Put them into the large pot, with water at least 1 inch over the top of each jar.
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Boil for ten minutes.
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20
After it's cooled a bit, take the jar, and tighten the rest of the way, as far as you can.
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21
The top of the snap lid will be bent down, letting you know your seal is good.
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22
This creates a vacuum seal on each jar, letting you store it up to 1 year.
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23
THIS is the best way to can, but NOT necessarily the easiest.
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24
It's time consuming and labour intensive.
