Summer is an ideal time for jam-making, given the bounty of fresh fruit. But you can make jam all year long with this quick and easy recipe and only a few basic ingredients. Slather it on toast, oatmeal, yogurt bowls, or just about anything for a berry delicious meal!
Ingredients
1 lb frozen strawberries or fresh
1 cup sugar
½ of a lemon, zest
½ of a lemon, juice
Fresh basil, optional
Directions: If using frozen strawberries, cut the strawberries into smaller chunks. If fresh, remove green stems and rinse well under running water before cutting to smaller pieces. Place the strawberries in a bowl and add sugar, lemon zest and juice. Let it sit in the refrigerator to macerate for an hour or overnight. Tip: By letting it macerate, it shortens the cooking time.
Transfer the strawberries to a saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning and sticking. It will start foaming initially and after 5 to 8 minutes, the foam will subside and the mixture will thicken. Remove from heat.
To test doneness: Drizzle some of the jam on a plate that is chilled in the freezer. Draw a line across the jam and if the two sides merge together, the jam is cooked properly.
Add about 1 tablespoon chiffonade basil to the jam, store in a covered glass jar and refrigerate.
Tips: Heat glass jars with hot water to bring them up to temperature before pouring in hot jam.
Pour hot water out after 5 minutes, dry jars thoroughly and then pour in jam. Clean the edges of the jar before sealing the bottle. Let it sit to cool before storing in the refrigerator. Jam is good for two weeks refrigerated.
