Basic Strawberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients:
- 4 cups strawberries
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fruit pectin
Directions:
Blend the strawberries in the blender. Mix with sugar. (Usually its 1:1 fruit and sugar, but you can try with a bit less if you like.)
Pour in the lemon juice and fruit pectin.Boil mixture then simmer for 5 - 10 minutes. Stir frequently. When finished take off the foamy top layer of the mixture.
Pour the hot strawberry jam in hot sterilized jars. Make sure to fill it up to the top. Clean the jars with a damp towel. Close tightly. After 10 minutes turn the jar upside down onto its lid. Let cool down, turn around again and store.
How to know the strawberry jelly is finished?
Put one teaspoon of the hot mixture onto a plate, if it gelatinizes, the jam is ready.
Tip for better conservation:
Please don't try this tip if you don't feel comfortable working with fire!!!!
Add one tablespoon of vodka, whiskey or gin on top of the strawberry jam before closing the lid. Light it and close quickly the lid. The fire will consume all of the alcohol and the oxygen. Inside the jar you will have a vacuum that allows for longer storage without using preservatives.
Even though it is not recommendable to do so, you could leave the strawberry jelly up to 5 years stored in a cool and dark place and still eat it without any problems.
But I'm sure you'll like your homemade strawberry jam so much, it'll be eaten in a much shorter time :-)
For beginners I recommend to buy a "starter kit" with everything you need for homemade jams and jellies.