Strawberry and Pineapple Freezer Jam

I make a small quantity of this strawberry-pineapple combo whenever I make strawberry jam. I know it's arguable, but I prefer freezer jams to their processed cousins, and all the jams I put-by are, by design, destined for the deep freeze. I find them much easier to make and I think their color and taste far surpass that of their processed cousins. The trick to making any jam is proper measurement of the ingredients to be used. Precise instructions come with the fruit pectin you purchase to make jams and jellies. It is important to follow them. The addition of extra berries or added ingredients can throw off the ratio of sugar to pectin and the jam will not set properly. Pectin is the thickening agent found in fruits and vegetables that's used to set jams and jellies. It usually comes from apples or orange peels, and can be purchased in powdered or liquid form. Years ago, fruit pectin was made at home with apples, water and lemon juice. If you are a purist and would like to make your own, precise instructions for its preparation can be found, here. While I've risen to such challenges at least once or twice in my cooking career, these days I purchase my pectin and get on with things. I work on the theory that knowing how to dress a chicken doesn't mean I have to behead and butcher every chicken that crosses my path. This recipe is foolproof, as long as your ingredients are precisely measured. I think those of you who try it will really enjoy this jam. I love to warm a bit of it and use it as a topping for vanilla ice cream. Good stuff! Here's how it is made.

Strawberry and Pineapple Freezer Jam

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups crushed strawberries (about 1 pint fully ripe strawberries)

1 can (8-oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

4 cups sugar, measured into separate bowl

Water

1 box SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin

Directions:

1) Rinse clean plastic or glass containers and lids with boiling water. Dry thoroughly.

2) Stem and crush strawberries thoroughly, one layer at a time. Measure exactly 1-1/2 cups crushed strawberries into large bowl. Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add pineapple to strawberries. Stir in sugar. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3) Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 3/4 cup. Pour into small saucepan. Stir in pectin. Bring to boil on high heat, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Add to fruit mixture and stir for 3 minutes, or until sugar is dissolved and no longer grainy. (A few sugar crystals may remain.)

4) Fill all containers immediately to within 1/2 inch of tops. Wipe off top edges of containers and immediately cover with lids. Let stand at room temperature 24 hours. Jam can be refrigerated for three weeks or frozen for one year. If frozen, thaw in refrigerator before using. Yield: 6 1-cup containers.