Instructions: For quite a few years, readers have been asking me if my recipe for Peerless Red Raspberry Preserves would work with strawberries. Im happy to report that it does, but the jam is "soft." Its a luscious preserve, with no commercial pectin giving it an unnatural firmness - and its full of fresh Oregon strawberry flavor. All that and only 7 minutes of cooking.

The secret is the brief cooking in small batches (this recipe cannot be doubled). A wide, shallow pan (a 12 inch skillet is perfect) is essential.

4 heaping cups washed and hulled strawberries (1 pound, 6 ounces; to ensure a high pectin content, about1/4of the berries should be slightly underripe)

3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup strained fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)

1 teaspoon butter

Coarsely chop small batches of berries in a food processor by pulsing several times (you can also do this by hand, of course, but its slow). You should end up with 3 1/2 cups.

In a large bowl, combine the berries with the sugar and lemon juice. Gently stir the mixture using a rubber spatula until the sugar is evenly distributed and the juices have begun to flow; let the mixture stand, stirring gently every 20 minutes or so, for at least 1 hour, but no longer than 2 hours.

Wash 4 half-pint jars. Keep hot until needed. Prepare lids as manufacturer directs.

Scrape the mixture into a 12 inch skillet or saute pan. Add the butter (this controls the production of foam). Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a straight-ended wooden or nylon spatula. Lower the heat to keep the mixture from boiling over. Boil for 7 minutes.

Remove from heat. Let the jam settle for about 20 seconds; if any foam remains, skim it off.

Ladle hot preserves into 1 hot jar at a time, leaving 1/4 inch head space.

Wipe jar rim with a clean, damp cloth. Attach lid. Fill and close remaining jars. Process in a boiling-water canner for 10 minutes (at 1,000 to 3,000 feet, process for 15 minutes; 3,000 to 6,000 feet, for 20 minutes; above 6,000 feet, for 25 minutes).

Note: This is a very loose jam - the kind that moves around in the jar slightly as its tilted. Theres also a strong likelihood of fruit floating toward the top of the jar, which creates a clear layer of jam at the bottom. If you notice that the clear space hasnt started to fill in with fruit after 3 hours out of the canner, begin a cycle of gently turning the jars upside down for 60 minutes at a time, then flipping them upright for 60 minutes; repeat several times during the day or night. This really does seem to work.

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