Topic: Strawberry Jam Recipe Please

[gilgamesh]

We use redcurrant juice in strawberry jam instead of lemon juice. Plenty of pectin so it sets well, brightens the colour, and the extra acid helps boost the flavour.

[MissBaritone]

Sounds very yummy Jeremy and the best part is that it's quick and easy to make!

Has anyone had strawberries cooked on a BBQ? Friends made fruit kebabs (strawberries, pineapple, banana etc) with rum and icing sugar I think. I will have to get the details and post it on Recipes4All. I think it was one of Ainsley's recipes.

I normally place the fruit in a square of foil. Sprinkle over icing sugar and rum to taste. Fold foil over and seal the edges. Cook for 10-20 minutes on the babeque. Try serving with real vanilla icecream

[sweetpea]

Not posting recipe here for strawberry jam, but on sunday I made some, first time ever and have got to say I will never ever buy another pot of supermarket jam again, its delicious, always make my own chuntneys etc..I suppose its because its the 1st year I've ever had so many strawbs and could'nt even give them away.So go on  guys if you've never made jam before give it a go. :Debbiep :

[Debs]

Legless,

If your strawbs were a bit 'floaty' in the jam, you may need to boil the jam for a little more time to achieve the correct setting consistency.

Its all very much trial and error - I've made sloppy jam and also chewy jam  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Its all a learning curve !!

Debs.

[Doris_Pinks]

Debs, I have made toffee flavoured strawberry jam (overboiling)!! And also sent daughter into school with a small jar of Elderberry jam, to make her jam puffs last week, she opened it and it was slightly mouldy on the top! :o The teacher insisted on throwing it away! :o :o :o (i would have just scraped it off the top and used it anyhow!!)

[Wicker]

Your right Sweetpea there is nothing like homemade jam. Been busy making strawberry this last few days.  Today made just 3 jars of straw/raspberry mix due to small amount of fruit left today but usually make the raspberrie into jelly nowadays as don't like seeds! It's delicious.

Think I must be getting lazy as I find using the special jam sugar that only needs 4/5 mins hard boiling much less trouble to make.

DP youre right I think, if only people realised all the preservatives and (un)natural colourings in shop jam they wouldn't be frightened of a wee bit natural mould!

[Jesse]

Jeremy, tried your suggested recipe, had some left over egg white from making ice-cream so made my own meringues for the first time, kids love them. The pudding was delicious, thanks!  :)

[ina]

Hi all. Just read here about sterilizing jam jars and using wax discs. I'd like to tell you how I have been doing it without the above and never had a problem.

I re-use normal jars (that jam, beans etc. are bought in) and have several people save only the lids of these type of jars for me (my regular suppliers are rewarded with a jar of jam every now and then). The lids can be re-used only a few times but need to be inspected carefully, they should have no blemishes or scratches on them and the rubber ring near the edge needs to be intact.

While the fruit is boiling I wash the jars and lids well, rinse and set them all in a dish pan with very hot water so they are covered. One by one I fish a jar and a lid out of the hot water with tongs and set it on a thick newpaper (not on the cold work surface), fill the jar all the way to the top (keep the rim clean) and quickly twist the lid on tightly. Set the jar opside down and after about 15 minutes turn it right side up, by this time the center part of the lid will usually have popped in or will do so soon, so you know it's air tight.

So, basically I just put the boiling jam in clean, hot jars and put clean, hot lids on. The jars get heated even more while filling and by turning them upside down directly after closing also makes the lids hot. I've never had a jar of jam go bad on me.

[Moggle]

My mum always re-used jars that other stuff came in. She even used to sterilize them in the microwave - 2/3 fill all jars with water, and heat for a minute or so per jar, enough to make the water boil. I think she just carefully poured the hot water out and left them to dry on their own.

We used to have a peach tree, a nectarine tree, 2 apricot trees (i miss those) a cherry plum tree, and a raspberry patch(I really miss that :P), so lots of jams and chutneys were made by my mum.