Strawberry Jam Recipe

Strawberry Jam is a personal favorite.

The one I prepare at home using fresh ingredients is without any preservatives and can be stored in the refrigerator for atleast 6 months.

A little Algebra before we proceed to the actual recipe for the Jam.

There is a simple Math w.r.t. winter for us in Pune and Mumbai.

Winter = Mahabaleshwar Trip

Mahabaleshwar Trip = Berries

Berries = Strawberry (There are others too but this rules Winter).

On this yearly trip to Mahabaleshwar I brought few kg of different fruits. Sharing details about the ones featured in the picture here.

In the picture, the small dark brown ones in the middle are local “बोरं (Marathi) / बेर (Hindi) / Jujube Fruit (English). These are rich in Vitamin C , provide relief from constipation, help soothe anxiety, regulate blood pressure and strengthen the bones.

Strawberries are seen in two sizes. The small one is sweet, a bit darker than the big ones and has no white patches at the base.The bigger one is a bit sour, bright pink/crimson red and had white patches near the base. I prefer to eat the smaller ones as is and reserve the big ones for preparing Strawberry Jam.

Strawberries are rich source of fibre, vitamin C and antioxidants . Help in controlling symptoms of Gout and Arthritis.

Print Recipe

Strawberry Jam Recipe

Strawberry Jam prepared using fresh strawberries, sugar and lemon juice.

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

30 minutes

Servings

gm

Ingredients

• 500 gm Strawberries
• 750 gm White Sugar
• 2 TBSP Lemon juice

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Servings gm Ingredients 500 gm Strawberries 750 gm White Sugar 2 TBSP Lemon juice

Instructions

1. Rinse and remove the green leaf, twigs etc from the Strawberries.
2. Chop the Strawberries into big chunks (size reduces when cooked)
3. In a wide mouthed thick bottom pan, combine and strawberries and lemon juice. Cook on a low flame till the juices are released. The cooking should reach a gentle boiling consistency only post which add sugar. Stir continuously during this stage.
4. Add the sugar, gently mix and let the sugar dissolve . Once dissolved on a medium high flame bring the mixture to a boil and cook it becomes thick and the strawberry pieces look translucent. Boiling is the right way to prepare Jams as it helps to release pectin, a fibrous compound. DO NOT stir once sugar is added , else crystallization starts and the fruit might also break
5. Take a clean glass jar and sterilize it by boiling the jar and lid in water for 5-10 minutes. Let it dry on its own, don't wipe. You can also dry it in oven on a low temperature
6. Once the Jam is slightly cooled , fill the Jar till 1cm gap remains between the top and Jam. Close the lid, keep a wax paper in middle to prevent any condensation of Jam.
7. Label the Jar with date and Name. Store in a cool dry place before opening and later in fridge once opened.

Recipe Notes

The lemon juice and sugar together with their acidity and high percentage of sweetness create an unpleasant environment for growth of microorganism.

Sterilization of jars is vital. Do not skip this step in case you are storing the Jam for a long time. Also use multiple bottles to store the same jam instead of a single big jar. This is helpful to prevent the entire batch going bad.

Always use fresh fruits, white sugar for preparing jams.