When life gives you 15 punnets of strawberries for $7…
…make jam (and probably ice-cream too).
Recipe based on a basic understanding of how jam works.
Gather
Lots of strawberries, and a bit less white sugar
— (e.g. 900g strawbs + 800g sugar = 5 smallish jars of jam)
Half a lemon
Jars
Then
- Hull and chop the strawbs, then put them in a large saucepan with the sugar.
- Cut the lemon into wedges and add it — pith and seeds and all — to the saucepan.*
- Stir well and leave at room temp for about half an hour, so the juices seep out of the fruit.
… - Heat over a low–medium heat, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes.
- Cook at a low rolling boil for about 40 minutes, stirring every now and then to make sure it doesn’t stick on the bottom. Scoop off/discard any foam that forms on the surface.
- Keep an eye on on the jam as it starts to thicken and the boiling is less liquid/more sticky. Drop a little bit onto a clean plate — if it gels/sets, then then jam has jammed! If it’s still a syrup, keep cooking and testing.
- When jam has jammed, cook it for a minute or two longer, then scoop out the lemon chunks and discard them.
- Decant the jam into clean or sterilised jars* and allow them to cool at room temperature.
Notes
*You could put it in a muslin cloth bag if you’re fussy.
**If you want to keep your jam at room temperature and/or for a long time, you’ll need to sterilise the jars. If you plan to eat it in the short term and/or are happy to keep it in the fridge, the jars just need to be clean and airtight.
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