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NOTES:
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- You'll need the following equipment: a canning funnel, jar lifter, magnetic lid lifter, water bath canner with lid and rack, a large (4 quart saucepan, a small skillet for simmering the lids and lots of clean towels and dish rags.
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- I've done my best with these instructions to be as accurate as possible. My instructions should not be considered absolute, nor should they serve as a substitute for following proper and safe canning procedures as outlined by the Food and Drug Administration, as well as your canning equipment/supplies manufacturer's directions. Also, all brands of pectin are not created equal, nor can they be substituted for each other in equal measure to achieve the same results. My results are based on Ball's Real Fruit Low or No Sugar Added Pectin only. When in doubt, follow your pectin manufacturer's instructions.
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1. Fill your water bath canner with water and cover with the lid. Set over high heat and bring to a full boil.
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2. Sterilize the canning jars and keep them hot while working. I use my dishwasher on the sanitizing setting, timed to be ready when I am done making the jam. A second water bath canner can also be used to boil jars for at least 10 minutes to sterilize. (Jars must be dried prior to use.)
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3. Warm the jar lids in a shallow pan of simmering water while working.
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4. Rinse, hull and chop strawberries. Place chopped strawberries into a large bowl, and crush them in batches with a potato masher.
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5. Pour crushed berries into a large (4 quart) saucepan and add the pectin and the butter.
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6. Heat berry mixture over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a rolling boil-one which cannot be stirred down.
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7. Pour juice concentrate into the pan. Continue to stir and return to a rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute.
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8. Stir in the dried basil.
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9. Ladle hot jam into the hot jars, one by one, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rims with a clean, damp rag to remove any jam splatter. (Rims must be free of all debris to seal properly.)
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10. Center warmed lids on the top of the jar. Screw on bands and adjust to finger tight; repeat with remaining jam/jars.
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11. Place filled jars into the water bath canner, ensuring that the jars are covered by 2 inches of water. Return to a steady boil.
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12. Process jars at a steady boil for 10 minutes. Remove the jars from the bath, and set them upright on a clean towel-lined counter to cool.
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13. Check lids after 24 hours. If sealed properly, the lids should not flex up and down when the center is lightly pressed. If you have jars that didn't seal, check bands and try processing again; or refrigerate and use jam within three weeks.
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14. Wipe down cooled/sealed jars with warm water to remove any sticky residue. Store jam in a cool place out of direct sunlight.
