Homemade Strawberry Jam

Wash the strawberries thoroughly.

Remove the green tops from the strawberries.

Cut the strawberries into small cubes.

Place the cut strawberries in a large bowl.

Add the sugar to the bowl.

Squeeze the juice from half a lemon into the bowl.

Stir all ingredients gently to combine.

Let the mixture sit for 1 hour at room temperature to release juices.

Place a clean kitchen towel at the bottom of a large pot.

Arrange your clean glass jars on the towel in the pot. For this quantity I used three small jars of 200 ml.

Fill the pot with water to cover the jars completely.

Heat the water until it reaches a gentle simmer.

Simmer the jars for 10 minutes to sterilize them.

Place the lids in a separate small pot.

Pour boiling water over the lids to cover them.

Let the lids sit in the hot water for 5 minutes.

Carefully remove the jars and lids from the hot water using tongs.

Place them upside down on a clean kitchen towel to air dry.

Transfer the strawberry mixture to a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce the heat to medium once boiling.

Continue to boil the jam, stirring from time to time, until it thickens and becomes jelly-like.

Test for desired thickness by placing a small amount on a chilled plate; it should wrinkle when pushed with a spoon.

Meanwhile, fill another large pot with water and bring it to a boil.

Place a clean kitchen towel at the bottom of this boiling water pot.

Carefully ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars.

Leave about 1 cm (0.4 inches) of headspace from the rim of each jar.

Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a damp cloth to ensure a good seal.

Place the sterilized lids on the jars.

Screw on the rings until they are finger-tight, allowing air to escape during processing.

Gently place the filled, closed jars into the pot of boiling water.

Ensure the water covers the jars by at least 2 cm (0.8 inches).

Boil the jars for 10 minutes to create a vacuum seal.

Carefully remove the hot jars from the water using tongs, keeping them upright.

Place the jars upright on a clean towel or wire rack.

Let the jars cool undisturbed for 24 hours.

Check the seals after cooling; the lids should be concave and not flex when pressed.

Store properly sealed jam in a cool, dark place.

Refrigerate any unsealed jam and consume it within a few weeks.