As long time followers will know, every year (even through the pandemic) I go strawberry picking. I’ve actually been going strawberry picking every year since I was a little girl — my first real “commercial endeavor” so to speak, and my sister and I would always sell them from a stand on the end of the road and that would be our spending money for the rest of the summer. In the intervening decades, both my sister and I started making our own varieties of jams from the strawberry harvest and this year is no different. I made one variation that I make many of the years — a strawberry vanilla (very popular) and this year, also tried a Strawberry Honey Plum Jam, which is also delicious…. a little earthier but still very vibrant.
For the Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam
Ingredients
8 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 pouches (approximately 5 fl oz) liquid pectin
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste
3 teaspoons vodka
You will also need: 6 pint sized jars
Directions
In a large saucepan, crush half the strawberries with a potato masher. Heat all the fruit and lemon zest to a full, rapid boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Add sugar, stirring constantly until incorporated and cook for another 10 minutes. Add in the vanilla bean paste and return mixture to a full boil and boil for 1 additional minute. Finally, add in the pectin and boil for 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat, skim off the foam.
Fill into your prepared jam jars and let cool completely, open. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of vodka into each jar and swirl to cover the surface layer of jam. Seal tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Note: the vodka isn’t for making your jam boozy, it’s the last line of barrier for mold starting on the top of the jam.
For the Strawberry Honey Plum Jam
Ingredients
6 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
2 cups black or red plums (dark flesh), de-stoned and cut to 1/2 inch pieces
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 pouches (approximately 5 fl oz) liquid pectin
2 cups sugar
1/2 wildflower honey (buy local!)
3 teaspoons vodka
You will also need: 6 pint sized jars
Directions
In a large saucepan, crush half the strawberries with a potato masher. Heat all the fruit and lemon zest to a full, rapid boil and cook for about 15 minutes. Add sugar, stirring constantly until incorporated and cook for another 10 minutes. Add in the honey and return mixture to a full boil and boil for 1 additional minute. Finally, add in the pectin and boil for 1-3 minutes. Remove from heat, skim off the foam.
Fill into your prepared jam jars and let cool completely, open. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of vodka into each jar and swirl to cover the surface layer of jam. Seal tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Note: the vodka isn’t for making your jam boozy, it’s the last line of barrier for mold starting on the top of the jam.
