In the lead-up to a wedding in the family, (catering for a completely gluten-free reception for 40 people, but more of that later) my husband came home with some shopping, beaming, because he’d managed to score 14 punnets of beautiful strawberries for $7.50. Suddenly my plans for the day took a detour. I was into jam.
Far superior to any shop-bought jam, and a great gift to give at any time, jam is a lovely thing to make at home. As a rule of thumb, 1.5 punnets of strawberries will make 1 x 250ml jar of jam. I prefer to use small strawberries and leave them whole but if only large ones are available, cut them into halves or quarters.
Traditionally, the amount of sugar used is equal to the weight of the fruit, but I find this too sweet, so I start with half the weight and work up to around 2/3 the amount, tasting as I go.
But before you start you need to prepare the jars. I sterilise mine by running them through the dishwasher first. When I’m ready to begin, I put them in the sink, fill them with boiling water and let them stand for 5 minutes. I then drain them and place them upside down on a very clean tea-towel while I’m making the jam.
Rosie
STRAWBERRY JAM
(This quantity will make 3-4 jars)
5 punnets strawberries, washed and hulled (hulled weight will be around 450gm)
300 gm white sugar, or more to taste
1 lemon, juice only
Place prepared strawberries in a heavy based saucepan over a low heat and cook until the strawberries have exuded their juice. Increase the heat a little and simmer until the juices have reduced and you have a pulpy mass stirring more and more often to prevent the bottom catching and burning. Add the sugar gradually, stirring until it is dissolved, then simmer, stirring often to prevent the bottom catching and burning, protecting your arms from the spitting jam. To check when the jam is cooked, take a saucer that’s been in the freezer for 10 minutes, put a teaspoon of jam on it and put it back in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Then, if the jam ripples when the saucer is tipped to a 45° angle it’s ready. If it runs, it needs more cooking.
Pour into dry sterilised jars and store in a cool dark place. Properly sterilised and stored the jam will last for months, but it should be kept it in the fridge after opening.