Strawberry jam is not something difficult to make. With simple ingredients, you can make jam and don't have to bother buying it. Read the guide below to learn how to make delicious strawberry jam.
Ingredients
- 10 cups of strawberries or 6 cups of mashed strawberries
- 4 cups sugar
- 1 pack of pectin
Step
Step 1. Clean the strawberries
Once you've selected the strawberries you'll be using, put them in a colander and rinse with water. Stir and move the strawberries so they are all exposed to the water and cleaned. You don't want any germs to land on your strawberries and end up in your jam.
You can also use frozen or well-stored strawberries if you don't have or can't get your hands on fresh strawberries
Step 2. Remove the stems and leaves and crush the strawberries
Use a knife or spoon to cut the leaves and stems of the strawberry. You want to remove any leaves that are still on your strawberries. After that, put the strawberries in a bowl, then crush or grind using a pestle. This will release some of the pectin that is naturally stored in the strawberries.
- You should have about six glasses of mashed strawberries after this step.
- You can also chop the strawberries into small pieces.
Step 3. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and a half pack of dry pectin
The pectin will help the jam to thicken. Pectin is usually found in all fruits and most of what is in stores is extracted from apples. Mix the sugar with the pectin, then pour it over the crushed strawberries that were previously placed in the saucepan.
If you don't want to use pectin, you'll need to use about seven cups of sugar instead, but your jam may be a little thinner than regular jam
Step 4. Turn on the stove on medium to high heat
Stir in the strawberries and the sugar and pectin mixture. Stir constantly so the mixture doesn't burn when it gets too hot. When this mixture boils, add the remaining sugar (about four cups) and stir again.
Step 5. Simmer the mixture for one minute
After the jam mixture has simmered on high for a minute, remove the jam from the heat. Lift the foam that forms over the jam mixture. The foam is just an air-filled jam so it won't have a bad effect on your jam.
Remove the foam and put it in a bowl if you want to use it later. You can wait for the foam to return to jam and then use it again
Step 6. Check if your jam is thickened
Cool a spoon with cold water for a few minutes, then try to take a spoonful of the still-liquid portion of the jam and wait for it to cool. When cold, check the consistency of the jam. If the jam thickens well, your jam is pretty good.
If the jam is still runny, add 1/4 of the pectin to the mixture and stir and simmer the jam mixture for another minute
Part 1 of 2: Preparing the Jar
Step 1. Sterilize the jar
You have to make sure your jar is very clean because if your jar contains germs, the germs will make your jam go stale quickly when stored. You have to wash and sterilize it, then dry it. We recommend that you use the jar immediately after you wash and dry it.
Wash using warm water and dish soap. After scrubbing it with soap, rinse it with warm water and then put it in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Let it sit in hot (but not boiling) water until you are going to use it
Step 2. Prepare a pot of hot water
The water should be very hot but not boiling. Put the lid of the jar into this water. This will sterilize the lid of the jar, which is also important, as a dirty lid can also cause the jam to go stale.
Step 3. Lift the lid and dry it if you are going to use it
Carefully remove the lid, as the lid is still very hot. Use tongs to lift it.
Part 2 of 2: Saving the Other
Step 1. Pour the jam into the jar
Fill the jar until it is almost completely full. Wipe up any jam that overflows or spills over the sides or mouth of the jam, then close the jar tightly.
Step 2. Prepare a pot of water to heat
The water should be enough to cover the portion of the jar containing the jam (not completely submerged). Place a cloth over the surface of the pot so as not to damage the jar or pot when the jar enters and hits the surface of the pot, and makes a loud noise when it boils.
Step 3. Put the jar in the pan
Simmer the jar for 10 minutes. But the time you need will depend on how high you live when making this jam. Follow these guidelines::
- 0 to 304.8 meters: simmer for five minutes.
- 305, 1 to 1,828, 8 meters: simmer for 10 minutes.
- Above 1828, 8: simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4. Lift the jar
Use tongs to keep your hands from burning. Then place the jar in a place that does not have air circulation overnight. The next day, remove the lid or loosen it so it doesn't rust (and have a hard time opening it).
Step 5. Make sure the lid of the jar can be closed tightly again
Before you store the jar, make sure that you can close the jar tightly so that no air can enter.
Step 6. Done
Tips
- You can add four tablespoons of lemon juice to increase the acidity of your jam, and make it thicken faster.
- If you plan to use the jam right away, you don't need to store and seal the jar tightly. Just put your jar in the fridge and enjoy.
