No fail strawberry jam recipe?

antoniab, Dec 12, 11:45pm
Id like a tried and true strawberry jam recipe as I would like to make some as christmas gifts for my boss and the people I do gardening for :)
Im planning on using jam sugar so that I dont run into problems with it setting but need some help with quantites.
I saw our local grower sells bulk cheaper strawberries for jam so plan on using these.
TIA

uli, Dec 12, 11:59pm
1kg of fruit, 1kg of sugar and 1 sachet kings jam setting mix (=pectin) - works every time :)

For better flavour (strawberry jam tends to be just sweet and nothing else) - add some rhubarb!

makespacenow, Dec 13, 12:50am
1kg strawberries, chopped. Lemon juice. 4g of pectin powder 200g of sugar. Or 6g of pectin stock and no sugar.
You can use some vanilla bean paste.
Stir the pectin and sugar of using into the cold strawberries, heat stirring all the time, bring to boil and cook just couple more minutes.
Fill sterilised hot jars done.

makespacenow, Dec 13, 12:52am
Think ahead of you want the smooth or bits stuff. If smooth blend the strawberries and pass through a sieve/Muslim cloth to remove the seeds.

punkinthefirst, Dec 13, 3:08am
I tried this recipe for the first time this year, and won't ever make any other from now on. It makes about6 x 600 gm jars of fresh-flavoured not too sweet jam which sets well.
2 kg strawberries
2 kg sugar
1 dessertspoon tartaric acid powder (NOT cream of tartar)
Bring strawberries to the boil and mash to release the juice and mush them down. If you don't, it is more of a conserve. Simmer strawberries 5 minutes.Remove from heat and add sugar. Stir over gentle heat til sugar dissolves. Remove from heat again and stir in tartaric acid. Boil hard for another 5 minutes, pot up into clean, warm jars and cover and seal.

cgvl, Dec 13, 3:27am
if you can get rhubarb, just use a couple (2) sticks in with the strawberries. You cant taste it but it often helps with setting.
3lb/1.5kg Strawberries, 2 sticks slightly unripe rhubarb well chopped.I add 1cup water although you don't actually need it.
Place all in a large pot/perserving pan. slowly bring to boil, stirring frequently so doesn't stick.
Boil until mushy. Add 2½lb/1kg sugar and boil for 10mins, add the juice of a greenish lemon. test to see if setting. use a candy/jam thermometer for best results.
Skim off any scum or add a knob (about 2tsps) of Butter (not marg) this will dissolve the scum. You can not taste it in final product.
Pour into hot jars, while jam is still hot and seal immediately.
Any berry jam can be made the same way.

lythande1, Dec 13, 12:08pm
Same quantity of sugar as the strawberries. eg 500g berries, 500g sugar.
Cook the strawberries down, then add the sugar. Add the juice of half a lemon - no need for jam sugar or any of that.
Test by putting a bit on a saucer and tipping it, does it run! Form a skin!
Run, no skin, not done.

antoniab, Dec 13, 2:35pm
Lovely thank you people - have some rhubarb in the garden so will stick a couple of stalks in too as suggested :)
Had totally fogotten about the butter thing - Mum does that
Can you buy the pectin setting stock just at a regular supermarket too!, have never looked for it so never seen it.

uli, Dec 13, 5:28pm
The easiest pectin to use is Kings jam setting mix. It will keep till next season if you buy too many sachets.

grouch, Dec 14, 1:10pm
If you are using the sugar setting mix, the bag has a recipe on it and I used that. It was lovely and no failures.