Strawberry Jam using Grandma's Classic Recipe

I won't write anything new or modern. I will write how my great-grandmother used to make strawberry jam. And that means there will be nothing extra in the ingredients - only strawberries and sugar. However, I have nothing against using special seasonings for jam, they are called different names (Five-minute Jam, Gel Fix, etc.), but the essence is the same: you can cook the jam only once by adding this thickening seasoning. But we will cook jam like grandma did. First, you need to sort the berries. Usually, we buy a lot of strawberries and cook a tub of jam right away. Therefore, we sit down together to sort the strawberries, and time flies unnoticed during pleasant conversation. The unwashed berries need to be sorted. I usually use several bowls at once. In one, I put the berries for eating, in another - for making jam, in the third - slightly unripe ones, for making compote. Only the strawberries intended for eating are left with their stems and not rinsed. This is important because berries become more acidic after prolonged contact with water, as they absorb it.

The selected berries for making jam (they are already without stems) should be thoroughly washed. Usually, I wash strawberries in 2-3 waters to be sure there is no sand or dirt. I put the washed strawberries in a container in which I will cook the jam and sprinkle them with sugar. It would be good to sprinkle sugar in layers: layer of strawberries - layer of sugar, again strawberries - again sugar, and so on. As for the amount of sugar, it is a controversial issue. There is a common formula: 1 kg of berries - 1 kg of sugar. But in our opinion, it is too sweet and cloying. For the past 10-15 years, I haven't weighed sugar for preservation, I just eyeball it. But I know for sure that for 1 kg of berries, I put about 700-750 g of sugar. It is sweet enough for us, and jam with this amount of sugar stores perfectly.

Now, a few words about the utensils. I usually cook jam in huge enamel basins. If, by any chance, there are not many berries, I cook it in a small basin or a saucepan. The dishes must be enamel or ceramic. But from my experience, I can say that jam tends to stick to the bottom in ceramic and glass dishes. So, leave the sugared berries for a few hours to release their juice. After that, place the bowl on the heat, bring it to a boil, simmer for about 5 minutes, and turn off the stove. The jam should cool completely. By the way, in the photo, there is a small bowl. This time, I cooked it in two containers because my normal jam basin doesn't fit into the frame (for reference - I cooked jam from 10 kg of strawberries in one go). After cooling completely, place the jam back on the heat, simmer briefly, and turn off the stove again. You will have to repeat these steps until the strawberry jam is ready. Why complicate the process like this, you may ask. I will answer: it is the only natural way to keep the berries intact.

How to check the readiness of jam? It's very simple. There is a test called a drop. Take a spoonful of jam from the bowl and drop it on a saucer. Does the drop spread? It needs to be cooked more. If the drop holds its shape well, then the jam is ready and can be poured into jars. By the way, pay attention to the color of the jam. Compare this photo and the previous one. At the beginning of cooking, the jam is light, then, as it boils down, it becomes darker but does not lose its appetizing appearance. Overcooked jam will be too dark, and you will hardly be able to distinguish the berries in the almost black syrup.

If you feel that there is only one more stage of cooking left, it's time to prepare the jars for canning. Usually, I sterilize the jars in the microwave. It's a quick and easy way: pour 2 tablespoons of cold water into the bottom of the jar, place the jars in the microwave, and run it at full power for a couple of minutes. That's it, the jars are sterilized, just shake off the remaining water. But this time I was cooking jam at the dacha, and unfortunately, there is no microwave there. So I used an old proven method. Pour water into a kettle and place it on the stove, bring it to a boil, remove the lid of the kettle, put on a jar, and continue boiling. Did you notice that I have a whistling kettle at the dacha? It's not very convenient, so to eliminate the whistle, I lift the whistle lid. But then I face another problem: precious steam comes out through the spout of the kettle. I solve it very simply: I fold a clean sheet of paper several times to form a plug and plug the spout of the kettle. That's the improvisation in dacha conditions. I should note that I sterilize each jar for about 5 minutes (or longer if the jar is large). I place the jar lids in a saucepan and boil them, thus obtaining sterilized jars and lids. I am used to using screw-on lids, and honestly, I use them several times.

The jars are sterilized, the lids are prepared, the jam is cooked. Let's can it. Take a large spoonful of hot, boiling jam and place it in the jars, almost to the top. Cover with a lid and screw it on. Wipe the jar with a damp cloth, removing any possible sweet drips, and let the jars cool. I never wrap the jam, the jars stay on the outdoor table, gradually cool down, and when they are already cold, I put them in the pantry. Not in the refrigerator. Because they will be stored perfectly in the pantry, as the jam was cooked correctly! Oh, don't forget to involve the children, ask them to make beautiful stickers for the jars, where you should definitely write the year of canning. This way, you can easily manage your supplies.

We have made excellent jam: aromatic, bright, beautiful, and appetizing. Generously spread it on hot pancakes or add it to a dessert dish with ice cream, or... there are many ways to enjoy it, indulge yourself!