Make the NCHFP no-added-pectin berry batch with measured crushed fruit, a recipe-specific gel test and an elevation-adjusted boiling-water process.
Use the berry row in NCHFP Making Jam without Added Pectin: it includes strawberries. Measure crushed fruit after washing and preparing it. Follow that recipe’s small batch instead of substituting an equal-weight rule.
Follow the source’s stirring and cooking method. Use its refrigerator plate test, or the thermometer target for your elevation; 220°F is the sea-level entry, not a universal endpoint.
Prepare jars as the recipe directs, including presterilization for a process shorter than 10 minutes. Fill hot jam with ¼-inch headspace and use the elevation-adjusted schedule.
Let jars cool undisturbed before checking seals. Record whether the jam is soft, spreadable or firm. A runny set is a texture observation; it does not verify the recipe or canning process.
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The berry row uses 4 cups crushed berries and 4 cups sugar, measured by volume, with an expected 3–4 half-pint yield. Open the source for full cooking and gel-test directions.
For this recipe: half-pints or pints, hot pack and ¼-inch headspace. Follow the jar preparation and full boiling-water method.
| Elevation | Process |
|---|---|
| 0–1,000 ft | 5 min |
| 1,001–6,000 ft | 10 min |
| Above 6,000 ft | 15 min |
Commercial pectin recipes have their own fruit, sugar and cooking instructions.
Large multiplied batches can cook and gel differently.