Strawberry Jam Forever

When citrus time is over, it’s time for Spring fruit. And the queen of Spring is the strawberry.
So, it’s also time to make the favorite jam of children, the strawberry one. Crunchy bread and strawberry jam are perfect for breakfast or tea time. But not before one year old, for the risk of allergies…

In this period there is a great offer of strawberries in the shops, actually they’re so red and big that it could be a bit worrying. For jam, of course, you must use only strictly organic ones.

My jam is actually very soft, perhaps someone not too kind would say a bit too liquid 😉 … But I am positive and think it has a versatile use this way: perfectly matched with white yoghurt or ice cream, for example. However, if you want to thicken it you can boil a couple of apples for a few minutes with the peel, then bend and add them to the jam half way through the cooking time.

As for other jams, I keep the ratio 5:2 that is, five parts of fruit to two parts of sugar.
Here the measurement I used this time round:

  • 2.5 kg of Strawberries
  • 1 kg of Cane Sugar
  • 1 Lemon

After rinsing and drying the strawberries, cut them into large pieces and place them in the pot with the sugar, juice of the lemon and all the grated peel of the lemon (only the yellow part!). Mix everything and place in the fridge covered with a film/cling wrap.

The straberries must stay in the fridge for no less than 7 hours, BUT no more than 12 hours. I forget this every time and begin to make the jam in the afternoon, without realizing that this means I should get up to cook it midnight… so, it’s better to begin in the morning or in the evening, before going to bed…

When you are ready, cook the strawberries in the same pot for 45 minutes. During the cooking time some foam will appear, it’s better to scrap it away with a perforated spoon, to maintain a clean jam. But keep the foam aside in a bowl. In the meantime, sterilize the jars by boiling them in water for 40 minutes.

At the end of cooking time, blend the strawberries with a immersion blender.


Fill the jars and put the lids on.
Let the closed jars cool upside down.


And here are the jars I filled, plus some jam already eaten. Please notice the small one: I always prepare a jar suitable to carry in their hand-luggage for my children…

As I don’t like to throw away any good food, I use the strawberry and sugar foam to prepare a sweet focaccia.
I use these ingredients:
1 bowl of foam
250gm Flour
2 Plain Yoghurt
2 Eggs
50gm Butter
4tbs Sugar
some strawberries cut in pieces
1tbs Baking Powder
Mix everything and bake at 200 ° for half an hour.


This focaccia is perfect for breakfast, dipping it into milk or yoghurt. As it’s not too sweet, you can offer to your children, a slice of focaccia with strawberry jam. A real strawberry squared breakfast!

 

And if you want to practise your Italian, go to the same recipe in italian.