Homemade Strawberry Jam Food

INCREDIBLE HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Making jam is actually pretty easy once you've sterilized your jars ready to go. This is a soft set jam and tastes like you wouldn't believe - it makes a great gift too. Get creative and make nice labels for the different jars. It's absolutely delicious simply spread on fresh buttered toast, dolloped onto a portion of rice pudding, used as a filling for a homemade Victoria sponge or, as an extra special treat, enjoyed with scones and clotted cream. Give it a go!
• Before you start, sterilize the jars and their lids to get rid of any bacteria. Either put them in the sink (lids unscrewed from jars) and cover them with boiling water from the kettle, filling the jars with the water; or simmer them, completely immersed, in a very large pan of boiling water for 10 minutes; or lay the jars and lids on a baking tray in the oven and heat them at around 100°C/225°F/gas ¼. And if you have a good dishwasher with a very hot cycle you can sterilize them in there as well.
• Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Put the seeds in a saucepan with the strawberries and the sugar. Mush it up with a potato masher to make a lovely slurry, leaving a few chunky bits of strawberry in there to add a bit of texture.
• Place the pan on a medium heat, bring it to the boil then simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat off, carefully skim any foam off the top of the jam then leave it to cool a little. After about 15 minutes, divide the jam between your sterilized jam jars. Leave to cool completely then cover the jars and pop them in the fridge. Once sealed, the jam will keep for about a week, but is sure to be long gone before that!

EASY STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• First, prepare your preserving pot. Wash jars, lids and bands in hot, soapy water. Heat jars in simmering water. Set lids and bands aside.
• Combine the crushed strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Boil, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and gels (approximately 15 minutes). To test if the jam is ready, spoon a little onto a small plate and wait 30 seconds. Drag your finger through the jam and if the remaining jam doesn't "bleed" back, the jam is ready. Remove the jam from the heat and skim off any foam that may have risen to the top.
• Ladle the hot jam into hot jars, one at a time, leaving 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Wipe the rim of the jar and center on the lids. Apply the bands and adjust to fingertip tight.
• Process the filled jars in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove pot lid. Wait 5 minutes, then carefully remove jars, cool and store up to 1 year in the pantry.

FRESH STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place chopped apples, lemon, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until fruit is very soft and collapsed, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl to separate the liquid from the pulp and seeds. Press with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard pulp and seeds. You should have about 1 1/2 cups pectin puree. A bit more or less will work fine.
• Place hulled strawberries in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until berries are pureed, about 1 minute. Transfer to a saucepan. Add strained pectin puree to strawberries. Stir in 1 cup sugar. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer for about 15 minutes. Skim off foam. Adjust heat, if necessary, to ensure mixture is always simmering without boiling over. Stir in remaining 1 1/4 cup sugar.
• Cook, stirring often, until mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C), 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in lemon juice.
• Ladle into sterilized canning jars while still hot. Allow to cool to room temperature uncovered. Cover and refrigerate 1 or 2 days before serving to allow sugar and pectin to thicken up the jam.

FRESH STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Combine the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over very low heat for 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Add the strawberries and continue to cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, until the strawberries release some of their juices and the mixture boils slowly. Cook until a small amount of the juice gels on a very cold plate. (I keep one in the freezer.) Pour carefully into 2 pint canning jars and either seal or keep refrigerated. Use immediately, or follow proper canning guidelines below.
• Sterilizing Tips:
• Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
• To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Leave in a preheated 175 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Or, boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
• Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from either boiling water or the oven. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
• As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
• After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with a piece of damp kitchen paper. (Wiping the strawberries rather than washing them ensures the fruit doesn't absorb lots of water - too much water and the jam won't set easily.) To hull the fruit, use a knife to cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. Cut any large berries in half.
• Put the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss through the sugar. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 12 hrs or overnight. This process helps the sugar to dissolve, ensures the fruit doesn't disintegrate too much and helps to keep its vibrant colour.
• Before starting the jam, put 2 saucers in the freezer. Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan with the lemon juice. Set over a low heat and cook very gently. If any sugar remains on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush the sugar away.
• When you can no longer feel any grains of sugar remaining, turn up the heat to start bubbling the jam and bringing it to the boil. (The sugar must be completely dissolved before increasing the heat, otherwise it will be difficult for the jam to set, and it may contain crystallised lumps of sugar.)
• Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto one of the cold saucers. Leave for 30 secs, then push with your finger; if the jam wrinkles and doesn't flood to fill the gap, it is ready. If not, turn the heat back on and boil for 2 mins more, then turn off the heat and do the wrinkle test again. Repeat until ready.
• Use a spoon to skim any scum that has risen to the surface and discard this. Do this only once at the end, rather than constantly during the boiling stage, to reduce wastage.
• Add a knob of butter, if you like, to the finished jam, and stir in to melt. This will help to dissolve any remaining scum that you haven't managed to spoon off the top. Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins - this will ensure that the fruit stays suspended in the mixture and doesn't all float to the top of the jam jar. Meanwhile, sterilise your jars.
• Ladle into warm jars, filling to just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam (this prevents mildew forming), then cover with a lid or a cellophane circle and elastic band. Pop on a label (include the date), plus a pretty fabric top, if you like. The jam can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

QUICK STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a food processor, process strawberries until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large skillet and stir in sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, until jam is thickened and bubbles completely cover surface, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer jam to a jar and let cool to room temperature. (To store, seal jar and refrigerate, up to 10 days).

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM (SUGAR REDUCED STRAWBERRY JAM)

Steps:

• Weigh the strawberries AFTER they have been hulled to make sure you have 2 lbs of ripe strawberry flesh. DO NOT DISCARD THE STRAWBERRY TOPS.
• Peel and grate the apples if you prefer not to taste the apples or have apple pieces in your jam. Alternatively, cut the apples into 1 cm cubes.
• Place all the ingredients in a big pot and stir. Then leave it aside for about 15 minutes.
• Stir the strawberries over low - medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the jam to a boil. Stir frequently.
• Cook the strawberries until the mix thickens and bubbles (about 40 minutes, depending on your stove and pot that you use, make sure not to leave the jam unattended as the sugar can burn very quickly). Stir frequently to prevent the jam from burning.
• The sugar should reach a temperature of 220°F, but I prefer to check if the jam is ready with the jam test (see below).
• Jam test - place a few small saucers or small flat bowls in the freezer. When the jam looks ready, place a small amount of the jam on the cold saucer/bowl and freeze for 5 - 10 minutes. Next, run your finger through the jam to make a streak. If the jam does not join back up in the middle and fill the streak, then it's ready!
• Place the jam in glass bottles, close tightly and refrigerate. These would be suitable for canning as well (although I don't can, so I'm not entirely sure how to can these).
• Makes about 2 ½ - 3 cups.

QUICK AND EASY STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Crush strawberries and measure 4-1/2 cups berries into a large saucepan. Stir in pectin and bring to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar and return to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. , Remove from heat and skim off foam. Carefully ladle hot mixture into hot half-pint jars, leaving 1/4-in. headspace. Remove air bubbles; wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Start by preparing jars and getting water in the canner heating. You want the canner hot, but not boiling, when the jars are ready to be processed.See full water bath canning instructions here.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Chop strawberries into around 1cm bits.
• Put strawberries in a pot and stir for at least 10 minutes.
• Next add ALL sugar and lemon juice and stir for around 2 minutes, and then leave it to boil for around 15 minutes.
• After that it should generally be ready, pour into a jar or anything, really and leave the lid off to cool the jam, at this time it will be very hot.
• Leave the jam to cool for at least 15-30 minutes and then it will be ready.
• (NOTE: This is not a thick jam. It should still have chunks of strawberries in it).

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Clean and carefully wash strawberries. Remove all damaged or rotten parts. I recommend mixing forest and ordinary strawberries (1:1).
• Add sugar and let it stay in sugar 3-4 hours in a large pot. Stir occasionally and wait until fruit removes juices.
• Cook in the same large pot for 15 minutes making sure not to burn sugar. Stir always.
• After 14 minutes, add fresh juice of 2 lemons. Remove the foam and put the jam in hot (100°C) glass-bottle.
• If you like more firm jam, add pectin (usually available in grocery stores). Pectin is added 2 minutes before it is done because pectin looses its characteristic if you cook it too long. Close the hot glass-bottles and keep it in dark place.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Place the mason jars in a large hot water bath canner (or pot). Cover with water and bring to a simmer. Simmer the center lids in separate saucepan full of water.
• Place the mashed strawberries and lemon juice in a separate pot. Stir in the pectin until dissolved. Bring the strawberries to a strong boil.
• Add the sugar (measure beforehand so you can add it all at once), and then return the mixture to a full (violent) boil that can't be stirred down. Boil hard for 1 minute 15 seconds. Skim foam off the top.
• Remove one jar at a time from the simmering water. Pour water back into the pot. Using a wide-mouth funnel, fill each jar with jam, being careful to keep the liquid/fruit ratio consistent. Fill the jars so that they have 1/4-inch of space at the top. Run a knife down the side of the jar to get rid of air bubbles. Wipe the rim of the jar with a wet cloth to remove any residue or stickiness.
• Remove the center lid from the simmering water and position it on top. Put screw bands on jars, but do not over tighten! Repeat with all the jars, and then place the jars on a canning rack and lower into the water. Place the lid on the canner, and then bring the water to a full boil. Boil hard for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and allow the jars to remain in the hot water for an addition 5 minutes. Remove the jars from the water using a jar lifter, and allow them to sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
• After 24 hours, remove the screw bands and check the seal of the jars. The center lids should have no give whatsoever. If any seals are compromised, store those jars in the fridge. Otherwise, fill your pantry with your newly canned goodness.

STRAWBERRY JAM

Steps:

• Add the strawberries, sugar and pectin to a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently as the strawberries break down and begin to thicken. Cook for 20 minutes. Cool and store in jars.
• Properly-handled sterilized equipment will keep canned foods in good condition for years. Sterilizing jars is the first step of preserving foods.
• Tips:
• Jars should be made from glass and free of any chips or cracks. Preserving or canning jars are topped with a glass, plastic, or metal lid, which has a rubber seal. Two piece lids are best for canning, as they vacuum seal when processed.
• To sterilize jars, before filling with jams, pickles, or preserves, wash jars and lids with hot, soapy water. Rinse well and arrange jars and lids open sides up, without touching, on a tray. Boil the jars and lids in a large saucepan, covered with water, for 15 minutes.
• Use tongs when handling the hot sterilized jars, to move them from boiling water. Be sure the tongs are sterilized too, by dipping the ends in boiling water for a few minutes.
• As a rule, hot preserves go into hot jars and cold preserves go into cold jars. All items used in the process of making jams, jellies, and preserves must be clean. This includes any towels used, and especially your hands.
• After the jars are sterilized, you can preserve the food. It is important to follow any canning and processing instructions included in the recipe and refer to USDA guidelines about the sterilization of canned products.
• Makes 1 quart