Strawberry Jam

Strawberries are loved simply by everybody, young and old. Now that strawberries are in season, they are aromatic and sweet, and one of the things you can make so that you can enjoy them all year round, is strawberry jam. Strawberry jam is very easy to make and will brighten your mornings, or any time of the day when you feel like having something sweet!

Directions

So few ingredients for such great taste! Wash the strawberries carefully in a colander and let them drain. Hull them, cut them in half if small. If they are bigger you can cut them in 3 – 4 slices. Weigh them, so that you have 1 kilo.

In a wide bottomed pot, lay some strawberries and cover them with sugar. Repeat the procedure, layering strawberries and sugar, finishing with a layer of sugar. If you like the jam sweeter, you can add a kilo of sugar. If you use more sugar, the jam will also last much longer. Cover the pot and leave it for at least an hour. You will see that the sugar has drawn out the juice from the strawberries and it has almost melted.

In the meantime, prepare the jars where you will keep the jam. Fill a pot with water, place the jars and tops inside and boil them for five minutes. Remove them from the water and turn them upside down on a clean towel.

Place the pot on the fire and simmer the strawberries. Now and then remove the foam that forms on top. Simmer for about one hour, until the syrup thickens. Drip a few drops on a cold plate, tilt it and the drops should ‘cling’ to the plate. The syrup shouldn’t be too thick, because it will thicken more when it cools down. Remove the jam from the fire and fill the prepared jars. Place the tops on the jars, and set them upside down on the counter. When the jam cools completely, you can place the jars in the fridge.

This homemade strawberry jam is fantastic, and if you taste it you will never again buy ready made jam. It is much healthier and you can decide how much sugar you wish to use.