STRAWBERRY JAM
INGREDIENTS
1kg / 2lb 3oz strawberries 1kg/ 2lb 3oz granulated sugar or caster sugar ½ lemon Small knob of butter
1Place the strawberries into a large bowl with 500g/ 18oz of the sugar. Turn carefully to mix and coat well, then cover with cling film and place into the fridge overnight.
2The next day, place a saucer into the freezer to chill.
3Sterilise the jam jars — first wash the jars and rinse.
4Pour the strawberries, their juice into a large pan, remembering that the mixture will rise as it boils, and add the remaining sugar and the lemon juice.
5Stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
6Bring the strawberries up to the boil. Check the setting point every ten minutes, although it may take up to half an hour.
7To test the setting point, remove the pan from the heat. Take your saucer from the freezer and place a drop of jam onto the cold plate. After a few seconds push the jam with your finger.
8If the jam surface wrinkles then it has reached setting point and is ready. If it slides about as a liquid, then it hasn’t reached setting point and should be returned to the heat and boiled for a few more minutes.
9When setting point has been reached, turn off the heat. Stir in the butter and remove off any scum on the surface of the jam.
10Let the jam cool and thicken in the pan for ten minutes, so that the strawberries don’t sink.
11Carefully remove the sterilized jars from the oven with oven gloves — try to avoid touching the insides of the jars with the oven gloves.
12Stir the jam, and then ladle it into the sterilised jars.
13Cover the top surface of the jam in each jar with a complete seal.
14Cover with a lid while still hot, label and store in a cool place.