Jammin'

I LOVE JAM!

Shout it from the rooftops people.
I love jam on toast, I love using jam in poke cakes, I love thumbprint cookies with jam, I love jam on pancakes, I really love a cheese topped crostini with a dollop of jam.

What I love most about jam, is it’s so easy to make! Sure, it’s not as easy as just opening a jar from the store. But you get to have fun with flavors (hello raspberry lime), control the sugar, and the consistency.

I make jam a couple of times a month. The tall guy is a goat cheese fiend, and one of his favorite ways to enjoy one of our favorites from Tomales Farmstead Creamery is with a little strawberry balsamic jam.

The Balsamic Vinegar is totally optional, when I don’t make the balsamic version, I typically add a bit more lemon juice to balance the sweetness of the berries!

Ingredients

Jam.jpg

Strawberry Citrus Jam

  • 2 lbs strawberries (my faves are from Dad’s garden)

  • the zest and juice of 1 lemon

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)


Get Started

  • Wash the strawberries and dice - it’s rustic, uneven is okay!

  • Add the strawberries to a non stick pan on medium low heat

  • Add the sugar, salt, and lemon zest & juice to the pan and stir

  • As the berries heat up, they will begin to breakdown and create more liquid

  • Give it a stir every once in a while, and break up the berries as you do so

  • When you can pull the spoon through the berries without the juice running to fill the gap, add the balsamic vinegar and let cook for another 2-3 minutes.

  • Then, you’re all done!

This can last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator with no problem, but if you want to store it in your pantry, before using, it’s best to go through the canning process. You can find a how to guide here . Once opened, keep the jam in the refrigerator.

Notes:

I typically do not add pectin, I let jams thicken by letting them cook longer, and I don’t focus on making a thick jam. We prefer it to be looser (but not watery) with chunks of berries/fruits. Citrus has a higher level of pectin naturally, so that helps with the texture.

When I work with apples, pears, apricots etc. that have higher percentages of natural pectin, those will result in a thicker jam.

I tend to lean more towards berry jams - like to play with other flavors: lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, even serrano peppers!

What creative jam flavor can you come up with?

Muchly,

Katy

EatsKathryn McKnightkaty's cooking, jamComment