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Now that our local strawberries are ready, I shall be making a big batch of strawberry jam , mmmmm…… strawberry…. jam….., surely two of the most evocative words in the culinary language. Strawberry jam is summer in a jar; it is scones for tea; fresh croissant for breakfast; it is the jam that takes us back to our childhood…..
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By a happy coincidence it is also one of the easiest jams to make, the natural pectin in the little ruby red fruits ensuring a jam that sets easily without needing to be overcooked and risking spoiling the flavour.
At home we grow our strawberries in large pots on the terrace, they are easier to control and less of a temptation to passing birds!
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To make quite a few pots of fresh jam you will need 5 lbs of tasty strawberries, 3 lbs (6 cups) of sugar and the juice of a lemon or two.
Pop a couple of old saucers into the freezer, you will need these for testing whether the jam is set. Also have your jam jars ready, squeaky clean and slightly warm.
Remove the stalks and cut up the strawberries, pop them into a saucepan with the sugar and the lemon juice. I leave this for a couple of hours so the fruit begins to juice.
Turn on a gentle heat until all the sugar is melted. Once everything is melted then turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil (not too hard) for 10-15 minutes. After about 10 muinutes put a little of the mixture onto one of the cold saucers and do the ‘wrinkle’ test. If, when you push your finger against the blob of jam the surface crinkles, then your jam is ready. If it is still liquid then you need to boil it for a few more minutes.
The less time your jam boils, the better and fresher the flavour will be.
When you are satisfied with the consistency, turn off the heat, let the jam cool for a while. Pour into individual pots and seal. When the pots are cooled, wash them carefully to make sure no jam has dribbled down the side, then stick on a pretty label.[blank]
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Voila! my favourite recipe, illustrated by a series of wonderful pictures taken by my daughter Ella last summer, enjoy![blank]
32 comments
Goodness i can taste it from your fabulous pictures!
I'm inspired – must get some strawberries today, those in my garden are nowhere near ready yet. Your photographs are beautiful.
Wonderful, I made my first batch of Strawberry Jam whilst in Brittany at Easter (the strawberries there are superb), and I'll be making a few more batches next week, once my daughter is back at school.
Your photos are delightful and I just love your Jam jars.
One thing that I learned from Ina Garten; add a few dices of Granny Smith apple to your strawberries to increase the amount of natural pectin. The apples melt away into the jam. Looks great! – Tonya
Oh you had me at strawberry jam,,it looks so delishes..my mom would make all kinds of jams and jellys when I was growing up..thanks for sharing the recipe..
Devon
http://www.devonstitching.blogspot.com
Simple and yummy! I'm going to try it. WHEN is the 'My French Country Home' cookbook coming out??? I love your recipes!
Kris of Cricket Acres Studio
How tempting! I am also fond of raspberry jam, but any of the summer fruits are delectable. Thanks for this.
Bravo, Sharon. Where can I place my order, s'il vous plait? If you insist, I will pick them up myself to save on delivery fees. 🙂 Bonne semaine, and thank you for sharing these beautiful images. Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
oh…delicious and pretty!!!
Yummy! I remember helping my Mom make strawberry jam when I was little – hers is still the best jam ever (take that, Bonne Maman!)
I missed the peonies, roses and poppies in my garden while I've been in Ireland for the past 2 weeks (read all about my adventures on my blog…), but the strawberries aren't ready here, so maybe I'll try my hand at jam making myself in a few weeks or so.
I look forward to catching up on your beautiful blog this week, Sharon.
We have beautiful strawberries here now in S. CA + will make some, with your receipe, jam this weekend. Thank you xxpeggybraswelldesign.com
Strawberry jam ensures that strawberry season lasts throughout the year, and every year it seems you have to make even more to make it last.
YUM! It sounds like a really easy recipe. I remember making some peach conserve once (it was my first attempt) and had to check with my grandmother to make sure I was doing everything right. Back then, I had to sterilize the jars and lids and after the conserve was cooked it had to be poured into the warm jars. To make sure that the lids of the jars were sealed, you had to listen for a ping sound and that ensured that the jars were sealed along with an indentation in the middle of the jar. I remember sitting at the table watching and waiting for the ping sound. LOL
Looks so delicious, but trying to stay away from sugar, and breads! But quite tempting….
The consistency of jam is one of my favorites and the flavor is yummy. I bet you really enjoy the processs.
Our strawberries are just coming in now. Seeing your mouth-watering pictures is making me wish I had a jar to open for jam, toast and tea. Enjoy your jam!
We also grow amazing strawberries here in Oregon, us and I also enjoy making jam.I like your recipe it's simple and uses no pectin.I will try it this year myself.Great photos~Cheers Kim
Is it really that easy? Your recipe sounds fab and Ella's pictures are wonderful… xv
My mouth is watering, Sharon! I love strawberry jam, but I've never tried to make it. Your recipe and instructions are encouraging though, maybe I'll try a batch this year. Love the photos! XO
The jam looks yummy. Thank you for sharing your recipe. I'm thinking how yummy it will be on a hot scone with a cup of Twining's Lady Grey Tea.
Looks and sounds heavenly. The strawberry season is very good this year in CA as well. I think I have been inspired by your easy recipe and Ella's fabulous photos to make some myself. Also, love the cold saucer tip!
Looks fantastic! I haven't made it in years…..
Blessings, Lorraine
I have never made jams of any sort. Your daughter's photos, and your detailed instructions are tempting me to give it a try. Ella has a great, photographic eye. Thanks for taking the time to post this recipe!
Cheers,
Loi
A post script to commend Ella on taking those lovely pictures. The strawberry jam looks sumptuous!
oh, how pretty! lovely with the pink flowers. and it reminds me of a french restaurant i used to frequent: dark coffee, and pots of cream and strawberry jam on each table….mmmm.
Sharon….you grow your OWN strawberries….and make your OWN jam….how great is that!!!!
Jo
OK you are good.
I am off to enjoy my bedtime strawberry crumble ALA your recipe again…but this jam makes me want to have breakfast now(:
I would love to do this, but I have a couple questions… first, how much does this make, so how many jars do I need? Also, does it need to be refrigerated?(before or after opening) Thanks! Looks beautiful and I love your jars!
Inspiring pictures, I used to make strawberry and many other kinds of jam when my children lived at home but it's many years since I last made any. I think I shall have to make some this summer, it looks so delicious and I can remember that it certainly tastes much nicer than jam from a supermarket.
Amazing photos!Looks so yummy!Love strawberries!And it's a great idea!Thanks for sharing!
I stumbled upon your blog last week in search of a strawberry jam recipe. The recipe is just like I wanted it, simple, pure and easy. It worked out wonderfully, my whole family is enjoying the results. Thank you! And I love your blog, so inspiring, I think I'm addicted…
Une Belge aux États-Unis
This is my all time favorite jam recipe!! I have made it for the past 2 years and shared it with my newly married daughter! So simple and so good! Thank you!!!! 🙂