Homemade Strawberry Jam

A while back, I saw an episode of Barefoot Contessa - Back To Basics on the Food Network.  Ina made a very easy recipe for homemade strawberry jam.  I copied the recipe and filed it for a rainy day.

Well, today’s not actually rainy (dry and HOT), but I decided to see if I had the ingredients on hand, especially since I scraped the bottom of my Smucker’s jam jar when I made Grace’s PB&J for lunch!  I had everything I needed, so Grace and I went to work. 

The recipe is very simple and took almost no time to throw everything in the pot to boil.  This was actually my first time to make homemade jam, and I was so excited to see it turn out so well!  I could have totally sat down with a spoon and eaten the whole thing.  Grace tried to.

I altered the recipe by making a substitution for the Grand Marnier.  I don’t normally keep that around, but I do have a bottle of homemade vanilla vodka in the pantry.  I substituted one tablespoon of the vanilla and one tablespoon of orange juice for the Grand Marnier.  Yum!  Also, I used regular sugar instead of super-fine sugar.  (You can make super-fine sugar by pulsing it in a food processor.)

Oh, also, I used a small handheld immersion blender at the end to make it more jam-like.  This quick recipe would be great on biscuits, sandwiches, or as a topping for vanilla ice cream!  It would also make a great gift.

Easy Strawberry Jam

• 3 pints fresh strawberries
• 3 cups superfine sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
• 1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small-diced
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Place the strawberries in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain and hull the strawberries. Cut the larger berries in half or quarters and leave the small berries whole. Place the strawberries in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot such as heavy Dutch oven and toss them with the sugar and orange-flavored liqueur.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add the apple and blueberries and continue to keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. This should take 25 to 35 minutes. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then store covered in the refrigerator. It will keep refrigerated for at least 2 weeks. To keep the jam longer, pack and seal in canning jars according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Courtesy of: Ina Garten