Strawberry Jam 🍃

Every summer, we visit our local farmer and pick our own strawberries, which we then turn into delicious jam that lasts us for a whole year. Each year, we try to use less sugar and more berries in our jam.


One of my all-time favourite breakfasts is a slice of freshly baked sourdough bread with cheese or Brie and homemade berry jam. You get a perfect combination of 3 different tastes in one bite: a little sour from the bread, sweet from the jam, and salty from the cheese.

Ingredients:

  • 2.0 kg strawberries (washed, drained, hulled and quartered)
  • 1.3 kg light brown soft sugar
  • Juice of 2 large lemons
  • 1 sachet of pectin
  • 2 vanilla pots

Instructions:

  1. Combine all the strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Cover and let the mixture sit overnight.
  2. Transfer the strawberries and sugar mixture to a preserving pan, add the vanilla pods and pectin, mix well and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring frequently until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bring it to the boil, stirring occasionally and skimming off the froth. Cook until the jam reaches 105°c.
  3. Ladle the hot jam into hot sterilised glass jars and seal. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

Sterilising the jars:

  1. Wash the preserving glass jars and lids (don’t use plastic lids) thoroughly.
  2. Dry them upside-down in a preheated oven at 100°C for 15 – 20 minutes.

The strawberry and sugar mixture has been sitting overnight.

Setting point for jam is 105°c.