It's pretty easy to make homemade Strawberry jam and you don't need a huge amount of strawberries to make it either. 500g of fresh strawberries will make about one medium-sized jar.
MAKING STRAWBERRY JAM AT HOME
Wash a couple of glass jam jars in hot soapy water and sterilise them in the oven at 160C/fan for 10 mins. Ideally, the jars need to be warm when you are ready to fill them. Although my quantity fitted nicely into one jar, it's always good to have ready more jars than you may really need. It will save you time preparing a second jar if it's needed. You can always save it for next time.
Before you begin, put a small plate into the freezer. You will need this for the jam setting test later.
Clean and hull your strawberries making sure the cleaned weight measures 500g. Put the fruit into a large heavy based pan with the lemon juice and preserving sugar. Any liqueur is stirred in at the end prior to bottling.
Gently heat the fruit and sugar, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. Increase the heat and bring to a boil. Keep the jam at a good rolling boil, stirring, until the setting point reaches 105 deg C on your digital thermometer.
HOW DO YOU TEST IF JAM IS SET?
There are various ways of checking that your jam is set, the most reliable is using a digital thermometer as it takes the guesswork out of the process and ensures you don’t overcook the jam and preserve all the fruity flavours. Another test is to put a saucer in the freezer when you start to make your jam.
Even though I reached the setting point (105deg) with a thermometer, I still did the wrinkle test. When you think the jam has set, remove it from the heat and spoon a teaspoonful onto the chilled saucer that you placed in the freezer earlier. Leave for a minute, then push the jam with your finger or a small spoon. If it wrinkles the jam is ready, if not return to the heat and boil for a further 5 mins before retesting.
Skim off any excess scum from the surface of the jam, then stir in a knob of butter to remove any residue and finally add the Liqueur if using. Cool the jam for 10-15 mins, then stir to distribute the fruit evenly and ladle it into the warm jars, using a jam funnel if you have one. Screw on the lids.
When cool add a label if you wish with the type of jam and date made. Store your jam in a cool dry place.
Tips and Faq's For Making Homemade Jam
Here are a few tips when making Strawbery Jam at home or any homemade jam.
Liqueurs – Sweet wine such as Moscatel, crème de cassis or sherry, or liqueurs such as Cointreau or limoncello, or even a splash of gin, brandy or whiskey can be added after the jam has set, no more than 2 tablespoons per batch or 1k of fruit.
When to pick the fruit – Use seasonal fruit that is perfectly ripe or slightly under-ripe for the best results. Frozen fruit is also very good for making jam.
High Pectin Fruit – Plums, damsons, blackcurrants, red currants, white currants, apples, rosehips
Medium Pectin Fruit - Blackberries, apricots, blueberries, loganberries
Low Pectin Fruit – Peaches and nectarines, strawberries, rhubarb, cherries, passion fruit, figs
Preserving sugar is a large crystal sugar with no added pectin making it perfect for high – medium pectin fruits. See the above list.
Jam Sugar is a large crystal sugar with added pectin for use with lower pectin fruits. See the above list.
Both of these sugars produce clearer results with less scum than granulated sugar, though they are more expensive.
Now that you have your Homemade Strawbery Jam, serve it on Homemade Scones using this Simple Sweet Scones Recipe
Easy Homemade Strawberry Jam
Equipment
- Couple of Jam jars approx 370ml. Or one medium sized and one small jar. Recycled if possible.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g fresh strawberries cleaned and hulled
- Juice of half a lemon
- 375 g Preserving Sugar or Jam Sugar
- 20 g butter
- 1 tablespoons Liqueur such as Chambord optional
Instructions
- Wash a couple of glass jam jars in hot soapy water and sterilise them in the oven at 160C/fan for 10 mins. Ideally the jars need to be warm when you are ready to fill them with jam.
- Put a saucer in the freezer. You will need this for the jam setting test later.
- Clean and hull your strawberries making sure the cleaned weight measures 500g. Put the fruit in to a large heavy based pan with the lemon juice and preserving sugar. Any liqueur is stirred in at the end prior to bottling.
- Gently heat the fruit and sugar, stirring until the sugar has fully dissolved. increase the heat and bring to a boil. Keep the jam at a good rolling boil, stirring until setting point reaches 105 deg C on your digital thermometer. You can use the wrinkle test using the plate from the freezer. See Tips and Faq's
- When you have reached the setting point, skim off any excess scum from the surface of the jam using a slotted spoon, then stir in a knob of butter to remove any residue and finally add the liqueur if using.
- Cool the jam for 10-15 mins, then stir to distribute the fruit evenly and ladle into the warm jars, using a jam funnel if you have one.
- Add wax discs if you have any to the surface of the jam and screw on the lids. When cool add a label with the type of jam and date made.
- Store your jam in a cool dry place.
Notes
Here are a few tips when making Strawbery Jam at home or any homemade jam.
- Liqueurs – Sweet wine such as Moscatel, crème de cassis or sherry, or liqueurs such as Cointreau or limoncello, or even a splash of gin, brandy or whiskey can be added after the jam has set, no more than 2 tablespoons per batch or 1k of fruit.
- When to pick the fruit – Use seasonal that is perfectly ripe or slightly under-ripe for the best results. Frozen fruit is also very good for making jam.
- High Pectin Fruit – Plums, damsons, blackcurrants, red currants, white currants, apples, rosehips.
- Medium Pectin Fruit - Blackberries, apricots, blueberries, loganberries
Low Pectin Fruit – Peaches and nectarines, strawberries, rhubarb, cherries, passion fruit, figs.
Preserving sugar is a large crystal sugar with no added pectin making it perfect for high – medium pectin fruits. See the above list. Jam Sugar is a large crystal sugar with added pectin for use with lower pectin fruits. See the above list. Both these sugars produce clearer results with less scum than granulated sugar, though they are more expensive. How do you Test if the Jam is Set? There are various ways of checking that your jam is set, the most reliable is using a digital thermometer as it takes the guesswork out of the process and ensures you don’t overcook the jam and preserve all the fruity flavours. Another test is to put a saucer in the freezer when you start to make your jam.
Even though I reached the setting point (105deg) with a thermometer, I still did the wrinkle test. When you think the jam has set, remove it from the heat and spoon a teaspoonful onto the chilled saucer that you placed in the freezer earlier. Leave for a minute, then push the jam with your finger or a small spoon, If it wrinkles the jam is ready, if not return to the heat and boil for a further 5 mins before retesting.
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