17.6.11

Strawberries

Strawberries
It's strawberry season here. Lots of little strawberry stands like these here are lining the streets and the Brandenburg strawberries bought from these stalls are unbelievably good. They smell so, so sweet and the taste is incredible. I bought a kilo to make jam and ended up eating half of them before they'd even been washed and hulled.  Oops! Back to the stall, another 500g, a few lemons and half an hour later I had... strawberry syrup. The jam didn't set. Bother. Anyone have any tips? Nevermind, it's delicious syrup and will be perfect with my yogurt in the morning, but I really was looking forward to thick, strawberry jam on my toast.

So domestic diva-like people who are good at preserves and jams. What are your tips for jam making? It needs to be a recipe that uses natural pectin as I can't find the packet stuff in the shops.
Beautiful Bite

14 comments:

Siobhan said...

Gorgeous photos! I've never made jam before, but the strawberry syrup sounds delicious! Would be good on pancakes too :)

Annika said...

Ah, those photos make my mouth water!

My mom used to use "Gelierzucker", which has added pectin. Does nobody in Germany make jam anymore, so that they are no longer selling this?!? That would be sad!

Alternatively, you could try mixing your soft fruit with others that are naturally high in pectin, like apples, gooseberries or citrus fruit. Good luck and happy weekend!

Kristina said...

mmh, I love strawberries!!
i did jam last winter i just remember that I put in alooooooot of gelatine sugar :) and somehow it worked :)
happy weekend!!

Jamie said...

I've got no skills in the jam making department, but I have a feeling some strawberries are going to end up in my basket when I next hit the market - they look amazing.

Kelly said...

pretty pictures, I love strawberries! unfortunately I don't have any jam tips for you - sorry!

Anonymous said...

Gelierzucker (sugar with added pectin) can be found at any store or supermarket in Germany, especially during strawberry season.

Depending on how sweet you want your jam, you can usually buy several varieties ranging from 1:1 to 3:1, with the first number always indicating how much fruit (by weight) needs to be used in relation to the sugar.

urban muser said...

i don't know how to make jam, but those strawberries look amazing!

Anika said...

Your photos always have the nicest focus and most beautiful light...is it natural?
ps-Deeeelicious!

Lisa Gordon said...

Awww Clare, sorry about the jam. I wish I could offer you a suggestion, but the one time I tried, I ended up with syrup too!! Actually more syrup than I could use in a lifetime!

It's strawberry season here too, but there seems to be some concern about what the quality will be like since we've had a rather rainy and cool spring. We'll see...

Have a wonderful weekend!

Eva @ Four Leaf Clover said...

I've been reminded of how delicious strawberries can be when I moved here. I've never made any jam because I'd be too tempted to eat them all first, too, ha!

Stephanie said...

Yummy!! I'm wishing it were strawberry season where I live, too. Mmm. It would be fun to learn to make jam. Good luck next time! I bet the strawberry syrup is amazing, though.

ELK said...

YUM! they look divine

Jen said...

I'm so happy it's strawberry season here! There is a farm near our apartment where you can go pick them. They are so sweet and good and taste the way strawberries should. Mmmmmm. :-)

Allie said...

Those look amazing, just awesome pictures. I learned to make jam in pastry school and I've made it as gifts for people. So as for jam making, take your fruit, 1 spoonful of lemon juice and sugar to taste, pectin or gelation which you don't need if you cook your compote long enough.

Let it slow boil into a compote. Meanwhile you should have your jam jars and lids in nearly boiling water. Fill with the compote, until completely full and then fasten the lids really tight. Place back in boiling water with just the lids on the surface. Do that for like 5-10 minutes and then let them cool overnight at room temp then you can use it!

I love strawberry jam and with those beautiful strawberries, jam would be amazing!