Let’s move down the spectrum from yellow and orange to RED.

Strawberry season might be over around here, but I have another long lost jars of preserves that I had to look for and unearth from the abyss of lost jars.

I remember making this jam a couple of years ago when I got a few crates of strawberries and sat on the floor with legs crossed washing the strawberries, picking the stems off, and cutting them in half. Just like zesting the whole crate of lemons, this task is kind of relieving for me as it takes my mind off things for a while.

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I asked mom for the recipe she used to use when she made jams. Usually one would use the same weight of fruits in sugar, but it differs depending on the sweetness or tartness of the fruits. I don’t thing there is a problem in adding more sugar, except maybe getting an overly sweet jam overpowering the flavor of the fruits. But adding less sugar will make the jam rot easily. Therefore, for strawberries, I used 800g per 1 kilogram, and some of them have been sitting on the shelf since I made them in 2017 – hides his face

When I used to see mom making jam, I used to feel that it’s an extremely exhausting task, but once you have the strawberries halved, weigh them, soak them in sugar overnight in the fridge, and the next day boil them in a non-reactive pot until they thicken. You have to keep an eye and stir occasionally, and make sure to remove the grey scum that comes out of boiling the sugar with the fruits. Other than that, it isn’t that hard.

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I had to add my touch to this jam by adding a few herbs from my garden. In one jar, I added basil leaves as I poured the hot jam in. In another, I used mint leaves and in another I put in some freshly ground black pepper. Thinking of it now, a cinnamon stick doesn’t sound like a bad idea, or some cloves or allspice.

I remember taking one of those jars after I made them to the camping group and IT WAS GONE within a week, with the other jar peanut butter I made

Get the recipe and try it yourself if you can get your hands on some good strawberries!

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Strawberry jam recipe-1392

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

1 kg strawberries*
800g white sugar*
A squeeze of lemon
Aromatics, if you’re being extra

Procedure

Have some jar that are washed and dried on the side, ready for filling. You can boil them or put them in the oven for extra sterilization, but I didn’t. I just used really hot water to wash them

Also, have a small plate or a metal spoon in the freezer to test the consistency and if the jam is done

Wash and dry the strawberries
Remove the green stem and cut the strawberries in half and place in a big bowl
Once you’re done, weigh the strawberries and put 80% of that weight in sugar over the strawberries and give them a stir. For example, if you got 1 kilogram, use 800g of white sugar, and do the math for the other measurements you get
Cover and let them soak up all night in the fridge
On the next day, spoon the content of the bowl into a large non-reactive pot (stainless steel) and start boiling the mix
The mix will bubble and foam. Use a slotted spoon to remove the foam and throw it away
Keep stirring occasionally until the fruits have kind of melted into the juice and the sugar dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly
To test the consistency of the jam, put a plate or a metal spoon in the freezer.
Once you need to test the jam, take the cold plate or spoon out of the freezer and put a bit of the jam on them. If the jam is still runny, then it needs more cooking time. Once the jam doesn’t slide off the spoon or plate, then the jam is ready
Once the jam is cooked, spoon it into the prepared jars, add the aromatics or herbs if you’re adding any, and seal and set aside until they cool
If the jam is cooked properly, it should last for more than a year, but the. color might change. Once opened, either refrigerate, or consume quickly