Strawberry Jam
Jun. 9th, 2013 02:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarahbyrddToday's project was strawberry jam. I don't know what I did five? (six?) years ago when I started playing with canning and managed to make some kick ass strawberry jam without pectin. Subsequent batches have all been more runny. I tried using regular pectin last year and got strawberry syrup. This year I am determined to kick this thing and get a consistent product. Okay, part of the issue is that the berries themselves aren't consistent and you have to allow for more/less ripe, supermarket vs. farm fresh and things like that. Grrr.
This year: 2 quarts farm fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, rough cut, weighing about 1.75 pounds. Add 2 Tbs. lemon juice, plus an equal amount by weight of sugar (4 cups scant*). Mix gently and let macerate overnight. Pour resulting syrup and a small amount of the fruit into a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring down the foam. Add a pat of butter to cut down the foam. Boil boil boil. Add reserved fruit, boil a bit more. Add 1 Tbl. "no sugar" pectin, bring to a boil again. Start testing the viscosity of the jam on a saucer you've stashed in the freezer. When the viscosity looks good, take jam off heat skim off any remaining foam, spoon into sterilized jars and hot water process for 10 minutes.
I THINK this year the viscosity is going to be right. This made four 8 oz. jars and one 4 oz. jar. I threw a few grains of lavender into the 4 oz jar to see if that might be a good combo. Given how strong lavender is, I figure just the processing would be enough heat to release the scent and perfume the jam. If I like it I'll try another batch with the lavender in a tea ball or muslin.
* Believe it or not, that's about half the sugar usually called for in jam recipes.
This year: 2 quarts farm fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled, rough cut, weighing about 1.75 pounds. Add 2 Tbs. lemon juice, plus an equal amount by weight of sugar (4 cups scant*). Mix gently and let macerate overnight. Pour resulting syrup and a small amount of the fruit into a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring down the foam. Add a pat of butter to cut down the foam. Boil boil boil. Add reserved fruit, boil a bit more. Add 1 Tbl. "no sugar" pectin, bring to a boil again. Start testing the viscosity of the jam on a saucer you've stashed in the freezer. When the viscosity looks good, take jam off heat skim off any remaining foam, spoon into sterilized jars and hot water process for 10 minutes.
I THINK this year the viscosity is going to be right. This made four 8 oz. jars and one 4 oz. jar. I threw a few grains of lavender into the 4 oz jar to see if that might be a good combo. Given how strong lavender is, I figure just the processing would be enough heat to release the scent and perfume the jam. If I like it I'll try another batch with the lavender in a tea ball or muslin.
* Believe it or not, that's about half the sugar usually called for in jam recipes.
