Pure & Fresh: Strawberry Jam
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Our group was small this year, but nice that it was just family.
If you’re a frequent visitor to At Home with Vicki Bensinger then you’re aware that I make Popovers every year for Thanksgiving. It’s the one dish my family insists on, and is always served with Strawberry Butter, a tradition from having it at The Zodiac Room in Neiman Marcus.
Typically I just make the Strawberry Butter with a jar of pre-made jam and a stick of softened, unsalted butter. However, this year I decided to make my own Strawberry Jam from one of my favorite bakers, and cookbook author, Sarabeth Levine from Sarabeth’s Bakery. I love her first cookbook Sarabeth’s Bakery: From My Hands to Yours, and just recently she released her new cookbook Sarabeth’s Good Morning Cookbook:Breakfast, Brunch, and Baking. I can’t say enough great things about both of her cookbooks, and this is not a sponsored post. Every recipe I’ve ever tried has produced perfect results. All of Sarabeth’s instructions are so detailed there’s no need for guessing.
In her new Breakfast cookbook she had a recipe for Strawberry Jam that sounded ever so simple, that I had to try it. The results were far better than any jar of pre-made jam I’ve ever purchased. Creating a jam this stellar gave me every reason never to purchase a jar of pre-made jam again.
After making this, I decided that using a portion of the jam for Strawberry Butter was a must! The results were even better than the Strawberry Butter at Neiman Marcus.
Sarabeth’s recipe doesn’t call for any pectin. Instead she adds natural sources of pectin by combining lemon and orange juice, which gel the jam and heighten the berries’ sweetness.
With a flavor so pure and fresh, I simply had to share the recipe with you!
Make a batch for yourself, or gift some for the holidays and include my recipe for Popovers. Who wouldn’t love that?
Strawberry Jam
A Strawberry Jam like none you've ever tasted, and so simple to create you owe it to yourself to try.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/4 pounds (567 grams) strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (3 cups)
- 1/4 cup (56 grams) fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
Directions:
- In a nonreactive large saucepan, bring the strawberries, orange juice, and lemon juice to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the sugar. Continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the jam is thickened and the juices are translucent, about 15 minutes. Skim off and discard any foam on the surface.
- Divide the jam between two clean half-pint canning jars. Seal and cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Note: For the Strawberry Butter I blended 1 1/2 cups softened, unsalted butter to 1 cup of Sarabeth's homemade Strawberry Jam recipe above.