Spring without strawberries doesn’t make sense, and of course all that is made from these amazing fruits. Strawberry jam, strawberry dessert, liqueur, tarts, cakes, and even green salads lately we find them to taste from the crimson fruits.
To make strawberry jam, choose ripe but strong strawberries, ie avoid white inside or melted as this will affect the taste of the jam you make.
A good tip to prepare the marmalade more easily, without having to insist on boiling, is to add grated apple. The large amount of pectin that apples have will do wonders.
Remember that strawberry jam is not just for bread, it goes great with cheesecakes, ice cream, small cookies-treats on bread with cream cheese, and even salad dressings. A few jars of strawberry jam in the cupboard will excite you!
MATERIALS
- 1 kg (net weight) ripe and strong strawberries
- 400 gr. sugar
- 1 vanilla pod or 1 sachet vanilla flavor
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- Juice of half a lemon
- Half a small apple
PREPARATION
Clean and wash the strawberries well. We wipe them gently with kitchen paper so that they do not have too much moisture.
We need a wide and shallow pot. If you want the jam to have pieces of fruit then cut the fruits into pieces, but if you want your jam to be smoother then you can mash the strawberries in the blender.
Personally, I prefer jam with pieces of fruit so I cut the large strawberries into four and the small ones into two. But it’s purely a matter of taste, act accordingly.
Pour the strawberries into the pot. Add the sugar and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon and let stand for about an hour.
Turn on the heat over medium-high heat, put the pot on and let it boil. Stir frequently and stay close to the pot so that you don’t allow the mixture to stick. Using a spoon, remove the foam that comes out at the beginning of cooking. After 10 minutes of cooking, add the grated apple and the ginger. Keep stirring frequently and at this point lower the heat a little, ie to medium. The jam needs about 25-30 minutes to boil, not more. Normally, at that time the jam will set properly and thus will retain its vibrant red color.
To make sure the jam is ready, dip the wooden spoon you are already using into the boiling mixture, take it out, let it cool for half a minute and draw a line with your finger if it stays clean and open, this means that the jam is no longer watery, so it is ready to draw from the fire. Squeeze the lemon, mix well and remove the pot from the heat.
You have the jars ready to be stored. Washed and sterile. You can sterilize your jars by putting them clean in the oven at 100 degrees for 10 minutes.
As the jars are hot and the jam is hot, fill them carefully, close the lids, turn them upside down and leave them to cool.
Store the jars in a cupboard, and every time you open one, it’s a good idea to keep it in the fridge until it’s consumed.