Strawberry Jam w/out Lemon Juice?

[PA Baker]

I made a batch of strawberry jam today and it turned out really well. I was so excited to package it up, that I forgot to add the fresh lemon juice. My recipe only calls for 2 tsp for every 2 c of jam, so it's not much. I know that it adds a brightness to the flavor, but will not having it in the jam affect it in any other way? Does that little bit of acid act as a natural preservative at all? The jars are refrigerated at the moment--can I just add the juice and mix it in to each jar?

[mcnerd]

Since I don't know what recipe you were working from, its hard to say what is good or bad at this point. I'm assuming this was not a "canning" recipe that you put through a Boiling Water Canner bath since you say it is in the refrigerator and you ask the question about opening them to add the lemon juice.

But basically, no, you should not just add anything to a finished product after the fact.

[AMSeccia]

If it's freezer jam, I *never* add lemon juice to strawberry jam. If it's a cooked jam, I am not going to be much help to you. I do know that you can reehat it with a fresh box of pectin if it doesn't set, but I am not sure whether you can do it to add something you left out in the beginning. :)

Good luck!