These luscious strawberries are the first of the season on the East End of Long Island, and if they are an indication of what's to come, we are in for a yummy crop. When I arrived at Billy Zaluski's farm stand, Billy was taking berries from the rear of his truck and placing them on the farm stand table. It was a good thing that I was having a lengthy chat with Holly, the manager of the stand, or I would have missed the berries. I bought enough for a big potful of jam and off I went feeling very happy with my purchase. They were so ripe and juicy that even my gentle handling of them didn't prevent the berries from coloring my finger tips. It's a good thing our cottage is only a short distance from the stand because I devoured an entire pint on the ride home.
When making strawberry preserves, I make it a point not to overcooking the fruits. The goal is to capture the flavor of the fruit and avoid the risk of losing the vibrant color. Strawberries have a lot of water, are low in pectin and do not thicken as well as other fruits (blueberries, apples, cranberries, etc). Pectin is a natural substance found in varying quantities in different fruits. I never add commercial pectin or thickeners. The right combination of fruit, sugar and acid are what allows the fruits to thicken. When it comes to strawberries, I add lots of lemon juice and go light with the sugar. I don't care how thick it is, runny and flavorful is my motto. You can combine other fruits which have a richer source of pectin with the strawberries to a get better gel, however, I am a purest when it comes to strawberry jam and if the berries are as stellar as these, I go with just the berries.
STRAWBERRY JAM
Makes 10 half-pints
COOKS NOTE: Refer to the "three pointers" in the recipe for Lemony- Pear Pineapple Preserves. They will tell you what equipment is needed to prepare and jar the preserves, as well as how to hot pack the jars for long term storage. I always reserve one or two jars for the refrigerator to eat right away—heat sealing the rest so they can be safely stored without refrigeration.
8 pints strawberries, hulled, rinsed, drained and cut into smaller pieces (you will have about 12 cups after cutting)
5 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 large lemons)
1. Combine the the strawberries and lemon juice in a nonreactive large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often, cooked for about 10 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium low to maintain a low boil. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cook stirring often, until the juices begin to thicken into a light bodied syrup, about 25 minutes. During the last few minutes, skim the foam from the surface of the jam.
3. Fill the clean jars and attach the lids. Process the jars for 10 minutes.
Just a reminder, click on the orange link in the COOKS NOTE above, (Lemony-Pear-Pineapple Preserves) for complete instructions on processing the jam.
SERVING SUGGESTION: Think outside the box. This Strawberry Jam is not just for breakfast, spoon it on a Buttemilk Biscuit with fresh Whipped Cream for an afternoon tea, or enjoy as a light summer dessert. You will find the recipe for the Buttermilk Biscuits and the Whipped Cream in my baking book, Sarabeth's Bakery:From My Hands to Yours, Rizzoli, 2010
Tags: Buttermilk Biscuits , Sarabeth's Bakery From My Hands to Yours , Strawberry Jam , Whipped Cream
Categories: Breakfast, Cakes, Dessert, Jams, Out and About
love those red-stained fingers of yours above ! but oooh, so close to a white shirt ;)
i have been absolutely loving the local swiss strawberries here, and simply can not buy enough -- nor of cherries, yum ! got a little bit too much this morning and decided to make jam. where's the first place i went for inspiration... here ! thought of your wonderful strawberry rhubarb preserves, your recipe shared here, and now even better - strawberries in the spotlight. perfect !
I have loved this recipe all week long. So fresh, so bright, so full of happiness.
Sarabeth replied to comment from Chris @ The Peche
| June 12, 2011 8:58 PM
You have brought my strawberry jam to an amazing place with all your inventiveness. We must discuss all your wonderful creations that you used the jam in and share them in a new blog post.
Woah. I'm using THIS jam recipe for my strawberry jam this season. My roommate and I are amazing strawberry jam fiends, and we're not a fan of overly sweetened jam. This sounds perfect!
And thanks to The Peche for leading me to this recipe.
I'm the founder/moderator for Punk Domestics (www.punkdomestics.com), a community site for those of use obsessed with, er, interested in DIY food. It's sort of like Tastespotting, but specific to the niche. I'd love for you to submit this to the site. Good stuff!
Also, I'm kicking off a big summer berry fest called Punkberry, starting with a Twitter party using the #punkberry hashtag at 7 pm ET/4 pm PT today. Hope you can join us!
Sarabeth replied to comment from Emily | Nomnivorous
| June 21, 2011 10:22 PM
So happy you are making the strawberry jam. Make sure your berries come from a farm. They have the most flavor. Thanks to the Peche for sending you. Look forward to hearing from you after you make the jam.
Sarabeth replied to comment from Sean
| June 21, 2011 10:24 PM
Sorry I missed the party. Will keep watch for the next one.
I made the jam on the weekend using organic Ontario strawberries. What can I say except oh my gosh, i never knew that jam could be so delicious. Exactly what I was looking for without using commercial pectin. Thank you so much for your generosity. It's so much appreciated.
Sarabeth replied to comment from Corinne from Toronto
| July 7, 2011 6:40 AM
Sounds so delicious. Envy you having those gorgeous berries.
Your strawberry jam is joy bottled. Thank you for creating it from the gifts of nature!!
I have made jam a few times so far. The first time with pectin, it was a little tough. The second time I tried it without added pectin and it had an overcooked taste. I've decided I like jam w/o added pectin, it's easier to half a recipe. Sooo- I made the cherry plum preserves from your book, I must say it's the best tasting jam I've ever made, really, I'm not exagerating *BUT* it was a very loose. I was being extra cautious b/c I didn't want it to be tough or taste overcooked. Do you have any suggestions on how to get it to the spreadable fruit consistency? Should I chop the fruit into smaller pieces to start, puree half or cook it longer before I add the sugar? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks-
Sarabeth replied to comment from Tkay
| July 22, 2011 11:17 AM
Don't fret. Go for the loose jams. They taste the best. Fresh and yummy with fruit flavor. All you need is a napkin to catch those luscious drips!
Is there any way to make this a sugar free jam, either by excluding added sugar all together or a sugar substitute (preferably no sugar)?
I am here to admit in public blogdom that I have never canned anything. But I have made strawberry jam in just enough quantity to use up within a week or two. Would I be correct in assuming that I can follow this recipe and just refrigerate and eat if I don't intend to keep extra amounts in my pantry for up to a year?
By the way, I was at your Chelsea Market shop on Easter Sunday and enjoyed one of your fresh-baked English Muffins, which was, by the way, the most perfect receptacle for your fantastic jams!