Strawberry jam

[caroline7758]

I've only ever made raspberry jam before, but as I have a good crop of strawberries I was wondering, can I use ordinary sugar as for the raspberry, or do i need jam sugar?

[caroline7758]

[BarriedaleNick]

You don't need jam sugar but strawberries don't have much pectin so it can help with the set.  I don't bother but then I don't mind the jam a bit runny - sometimes I add a bit of pureed apple though.

[Digeroo]

You can make a very nice freezer jam, simply mush up the strawberries with sugar and fresh in icecube tray,  Only take out portions as you need them, and use as soon as they thaw.

You can also buy bottles of pectin, or add a few gooseberries/red currants to help jam set.

I prefer cane sugar for jam.

[gavinjconway]

Just use normal sugar and add lemon juice from 2 lemons.. and or some apples to help it set..

[Yorkshire Lass]

Ordinary sugar will be fine, but I always add bottled pectin to strawberry jam to aid the setting.
Anne

[caroline7758]

Thanks, everyone, I'll let you know how I get on!

[Pescador]

A lot depends on the proportion of fruit to sugar. I find 1kg fruit to 750g sugar with the juice of a lemon normally works fine

[antipodes]

You can get jam sugar I guess?  Sometimes I use half and half with normal sugar for things that don't set that well, like strawberries.  As the others said too, add lemon juice and put the pith and pips of the lemons in a wee cloth bag in the mixture, until you get to boiling phase.