Strawberry Champagne Jam Food

SMALL BATCH STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE JAM

Steps:

• Fill your canner with water and bring to a near boil. Keep the glass jars and lids in the canner to keep them warm while you prepare the jam.
• Place the strawberries in a medium pan and mash with a potato masher (for smooth jam, process the strawberries in a food processor until smooth).
• Add the lemon juice and champagne. Gradually add the pectin, stirring constantly.
• Bring the jam to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.
• Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Bring the jam back to a boil and cook for 1 minute.
• Remove any foam that forms on the top of your mixture with a spoon.
• Remove the jars and lids from the canner. Ladle the hot jam into the jars leaving 1/4″ of space between the jam and the rim of the jar.
• Bring the water in the canner to a boil.
• Wipe the rims with a clean, damp paper towel. Place the lid on the jar and screw the rim on until tight.
• Place the jars in the canner and process in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the jars and allow them to cool.
• The lids should seal within 24 hours.

STRAWBERRIES AND CHAMPAGNE JAM

Steps:

• Combine strawberries, champagne, lemon juice, and pectin in a nonreactive pan; bring to boil. Stir sugar into strawberry mixture; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture returns to a boil. Cook until sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Sterilize the jars and lids in boiling water for at least 5 minutes. Ladle jam into hot, sterilized jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of the top. Run a knife or thin spatula around the insides of the jars after they have been filled to remove any air bubbles. Wipe the rims of the jars with a moist paper towel to remove any food residue. Top with lids and screw on rings.
• Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water. Bring to a boil and lower jars into the boiling water using a holder. Leave a 2-inch space between the jars. Pour in more boiling water if necessary to bring the water level to at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars. Bring the water to a rolling boil, cover the pot, and process for 15 minutes.
• Remove the jars from the stockpot and place onto a cloth-covered or wood surface, several inches apart, until cool. Once cool, press the top of each lid with a finger, ensuring that the seal is tight (lid does not move up or down at all). Store in a cool, dark area.

STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE JAM

Steps:

• Using a medium saucepan, add strawberries, champagne, lemon juice and pectin; mash strawberries with a potato masher. (Note: For smoother jam, process strawberries in a mini-chopped or food processor until smooth.)
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.
• Once boiling, add sugar and stir until well combined. Bring jam back to a boil, stirring constantly at this stage so the sugar doesn't burn.
• Once mixture returns to a boil, let boil for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
• To test doneness of jam, dip a spoon into the hot mixture and pull spoon straight up. If the jam mixture runs off in a "liquidy" stream, then reduce the heat and simmer until the jam mixture drops off in dollops. (Note: I needed to let mine simmer for 5-7 more minutes at this stage.)
• Let jam cool to room temperature and then transfer into an airtight container. Store jam in refrigerator until ready to use.

STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE FREEZER JAM

Steps:

• Wash, hull, and dice the strawberries, then place in medium saucepan on medium heat with the champagne and lemon juice. Add the pectin and stir until thoroughly combined.
• Add the sugar, and stir until dissolved. Bring the jam to a rolling boil and cook for about two minutes, stirring down as needed. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for a couple of minutes while you get the jars ready.
• Pour the hot jam into jars, leaving about 1/4" of space between the jam and the rim of the jar. (If your pan doesn't have a spout, I recommend using a ladle for this step.)
• Let cool 10 minutes before putting in the fridge until cold, preferably overnight. Store in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for up to a year.

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.

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.

STRAWBERRY CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

Steps:

• Rinse and haul strawberries except one, leave with haul on used for decoration.
• Put the rest of the strawberries in a blender.
• Add vanilla, lemon juice, and sugar and puree.
• Pour into a tall champagne glass.
• Fill glass with ice cold champaign.
• Cut an opening in the bottom of the remaining strawberry and slide on edge of glass.
• Enjoy.