Strawberry And Vanilla Jam Recipes

STRAWBERRY VANILLA JAM

Steps:

• Put all fresh cut strawberries and vanilla been in a plastic gallon bag with 1 cup sugar and set overnight in the fridge.
• The next day, there should now be some juices in the bag along with the strawberries. Put the sugar/strawberries/juice in pan, take out vanilla bean. Cut bean in half down the center. Scrape out seeds and put into pan with strawberries. Discard bean pod. Stir in remaining sugar, lemon zest and add butter.
• Bring to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly.
• Take off heat. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil for exactly 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Take potato masher and mash strawberries to the size you want in jam. Let this cool for 5/10 minutes, so that all the fruit will not rise to the top in jars.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe rim clean.
• Apply lids, then rings and tighten rings to fingertip tightness.
• Process in boiling water bath for your altitude time.
• P.S. Tips: A. If using fresh strawberries, they can be crushed before cooking/boiling. But I like chunky jam and I have found that the strawberries melt during the boiling time if I mash them first. So I prefer to do this after boiling. This way I have more control of the final fruit size B. In summer we freeze lots of strawberries for me to make jam in fall for xmas baskets. Once they are unfrozen there is juice already, so I skip the overnight process. C: Just an FYI, If you use store bought bagged frozen strawberries, since they are cut more then half and are not fresh they break down even faster during the boiling time. D. You can also make this with low sugar pectin or no sugar recipes, just follow the fruit/sugar qty's on the pectin boxes instructions.

STRAWBERRY AND VANILLA JAM

Steps:

• hull and halve, or if you have large strawberries quarter them
• mix strawberries with the sugar and allow to sit for 1-24 hours
• place sugar and strawberries in a heavy based pot along with the lemon juice and vanilla seeds
• place 2 small plates in the freezer - this is for testing the jams readiness later on
• slowly bring the strawberries and sugar mix to a gentle simmer allowing the sugar to dissolve
• preheat oven to 130c (275f)
• have ready some water and a pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan of any sugar - this is an important step to stop the sugar crystalizing
• wash down the sides of the pot with the brush dipped in water to remove any sugar stuck to the sides of the pan and simmer gently for approximately 25-30 minutes
• while the jam is simmering place the washed jars and lids on a tray and pop in the oven for 10-15 mins - (note - if using lids with rubber lining boil them instead of placing them in the oven) see above for how to prepare jars
• remove a plate from the freezer and place a teaspoon of the jam onto the cold plate and pop in the fridge for a couple of minutes
• remove plate from fridge and gently push your finger through the jam
• if the jam forms a distinct skin and wrinkles the jam is ready
• if you don't get the wrinkle effect continue cooking the jam for a few more minutes and test again until you get the wrinkle effect
• when your jam is ready, use a spoon and skim the surface of the jam to remove the foam
• allow the jam to cool for 15-20 minutes so the jam thickens (this helps to prevent all of the strawberries from rising to the top)
• pour jam into the very hot jars leaving only a small gap and seal with the lid immediately (this helps to create a vacuum)
• allow jam to cool completely on the bench
• wipe jars with a damp cloth to remove any small spills of sticky jam
• store in a cool, dark place
• enjoy!

STRAWBERRY VANILLA JAM

Steps:

• *Prepare boiling water canner and heat jars/lids in simmering water.
• Combine crushed strawberries into a large 6 quart pot.
• Split a vanilla bean in half, and with the your knife, scrape the inside of the bean and place into pot with the strawberries.
• Add lemon juice and gradually stir in the pectin.
• Bring mixture to a full rolling boil on high heat, stirring constantly.
• Add all of the sugar, stir to dissolve.
• Return mixture to a full rolling boil, boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat. Skim foam off the top as necessary.
• Ladle jam into hot half pint jars, wipe off the rim, place warm lid on the jar and secure with the ring.
• Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes (adjust for altitude as needed). Remove and let cool for 24 hours. Check lids to make sure they are secure. (They should not pop after they are cooled).