Strawberry Jam

Ingredients

Yield:

32 ounces

• • 2 pounds 8 ounces ripe strawberries
  • 4 cups granulated sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 vanilla beans, split and scraped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Difficulty:

Easy

Time:

3 Days

Total Time:

3 Days

1. 1. Rinse and dry strawberries.
   2. Remove the hull and quarter strawberries.
   3. Toss strawberries with granulated sugar, salt and lemon juice and allow to macerate overnight in a bowl, covered with a piece of parchment paper.
   4. The following day, bring this mixture, along with the scraped vanilla beans to a simmer – pour into a bowl and refrigerate overnight, covered with a piece of parchment paper.
   5. On the third day, strain this mixture to collect the syrup.
   6. Bring the syrup to a simmer and skim off any foam or impurities using a spoon or ladle. The syrup needs to cook to 105 degrees Celsius to be properly concentrated for preserve.
   7. Add the strawberries to the syrup and bring to a full boil – again, continually skim off any foam or impurities.
   8. Cook for five minutes stirring well, but not too vigorous to break down the fruit.
   9. Check the “set” of your preserve by pouring a little of the jam on to a very cold plate. It should gel nicely, but not be too firm.
   10. Sterilize the containers of choice (mason jars) by either boiling them in water or placing them in an oven at 225 degrees Fahrenheit for five minutes – wear gloves during this process for sanitation.
   11. Using gloves and a preserve funnel, fill the containers until nearly full. Seal and invert the jars to avoid any air pockets which would lead to spoilage.
   12. Refrigerate overnight to fully set the preserve. At this point, the jam can be stored for up to three months at room temperature if handled and cooked properly.