For the last few weeks, I have been making homemade bread. I followed the recipe from Aristan Bread in 5 Minutes a day, and after a few modifications, we are HOOKED. Jason just loves this bread and eats it for breakfast most days. He also has a love of strawberry jam, so I thought it would be fun to try my own. I have never made jam or done any canning, so when I found this recipe, I decided I could give it a try. I made some modifications for what I had on hand and after some research on suitable substitutions, here is the final recipe I used. Really, it doesn't get much easier than this.
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled
2 cups white sugar
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
I wanted to make a small batch in case it didn't work, or in case Jason hated it. No sense wasting strawberries! After reading all of the reviews, I decided to go ahead and use the full amount of sugar because I know that these strawberries aren't the sweetest on their own. Also, I read that using this amount of sugar would help the jam set (remember, this is a no pectin recipe!)
I used my all-time favorite kitchen tool to chop the strawberries: my Pampered Chef food chopper. I was blessed with a "Pampered Bride" party before I got married and this was one of the things I got. I have used it faithfully for eleven years. I have to admit, though, this one is looking pretty gross and although you can't see it, it is broken in back and taped together. Anyone want to send me a new one??
I put the strawberries on the stove and added the sugar and the vinegar. As the recipe said, I put the stove on low until the sugar was dissolved, and then I increased the heat to high, stirring constantly. I knew the next part was going to take about 20 minutes, so I pulled up a stool so I could sit while I stirred (trying to be kind to these pregnant legs!)
The jam definitely went through some different stages: smooth and light, frothy, and then eventually, thick. I knew I was shooting for 220 degrees, but I wasn't sure if my candy thermometer was working properly. I had read that you can eyeball it a bit, so between the thermometer, my eyes, and the clock, at about 16 minutes I decided it was done.
After it was done, I let it cool a bit and then transferred it to a clean glass jar. I know the rate at which Jason consumes jam, so I knew there would be no need to preserve it with a water bath or some other canning method I know nothing about.
The results:
- It is THICK. Too thick, really. I don't know if I cooked it for too long, but I will definitely get a new thermometer before trying again. I did find, though, that putting a bit in the microwave for about ten seconds thinned it right up, making it perfect for spreading.
- Jason would like more chunky pieces of fruit in it, so after cooking next time, I may stir in some reserved fruit chunks.
- I thought the taste was wonderful (and that coming from someone who doesn't even like strawberry jam). It isn't something *I* would eat every day, but I suspect that if I had a natural affection towards jam, this is something I would be craving. As it is, though, I think I will stick with my beloved peanut butter and leave the strawberry jam for Jason and Alaina.
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