When my husband was growing up his mom would take him and his brothers out berry picking. Whatever they didn't eat was taken home and made into jam. When he tells me this he always points out that cutting berries for hours on end was not fun, but the sweet smell of the berries cooking and the delicious jam that they had for months afterwards, that was well worth it.
I've always wanted to make my own jam, but don't seem to have the patience or the know how when it comes to canning. Then I came across a recipe for small batch strawberry jam in Sunset Magazine. This is an easy and rather quick version of the jam my mother in law made. It's not going to last forever (although you can freeze it up to 6 mo), but with the way jam goes in our house, that doesn't matter.
Fresh jam for breakfast? Yes please!!
top image: Annabelle Breakey, styling by Kevin Crafts via MyRecipes.com
ingredients:3 1/2 lbs of strawberries*
1 lemon, quartered
2 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
get to work:
1. Cut the strawberry tops off and halve the strawberries.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a large pot.3. Turn the pot on low for about 30 minutes and cover, stirring occasionally.
4. Let the berries continue to cook for about another 60-90 min.(The jam will look thin, but will thicken as it cools.)
5. Chill jam in airtight containers for 1 month or freeze up to 6 months.
While we waited for the berries to cook I laid out a large sheet of paper and let Max and his friend Maia stamp with the strawberry tops. The juicer tops made the darkest/redest prints.
*hint - when you buy strawberries in the container it should tell you the weight, otherwise 3 3/4 uncut strawberries = 1lb.
1 comment
I've also made this version of that jam a bunch of times, which is so simple and good:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-oliver/strawberry-jam-recipe/index.html
Same deal, it doesn't store forever, but you'll want to eat it all pretty quickly anyway.
Jamie
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