There are many different types of jams out there. Some are more common than others but they have the same technique. Today we’re focusing on strawberry jam because it’s the most popular and everyone knows it.

When it comes to making jams you will need the following components. Your fruit base, sweetener, acid, and seasoning. For strawberry jam, your fruit base will be strawberries. I like to use fresh but if you can’t get your hands on fresh produce, frozen products will work just fine. You will need to defrost it first or cook it longer to get rid of the moisture. For sweeteners, the most common will be sugar. It helps your fruit to caramelize and binds it all together. Plus, it helps get rid of the tart flavor found in fruits Most commonly used when making jams is regular white sugar. You can use brown sugar or cane sugar if you like, but it will change the overall product because of its dark, rich flavor. When it comes to acid, lemon is the way to go. You can use its juice and zest which makes the product look, taste, and smells fresher. Other substitutes are orange juice because you don’t want your jam to be too sweet. Seasoning is optional but not necessary. Just a pinch of salt and pepper will do nicely but in this recipe, I didn’t add it because I want the freshness of the strawberries to shine. 

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

1 lbs strawberries, diced

1 lemon, juiced and zested

Directions:

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add sugar and melt until golden brown color. Add in the strawberries. Stir and continue cooking for 12-15 minutes or until 220F (104C). Add in lemon juice and zest and cook for another 2 minutes.

Once it’s done cooking, transfer the jam into sanitized, sterile jars and allow it to cool at room temperature. 

One thing I like about this recipe is that you can store it in both the fridge and freezer. In the fridge can stay up to 2 weeks and 6 months in the freezer. The only thing if you store it in the freezer is that you will most likely will use it before 6 months pass