Keeping the fruit whole and the colour bright comes down to a short boil. Leave the strawberries in sugar overnight and they release their juice, so the syrup forms by itself; after that half an hour of boiling is all it takes. Jam that boils for longer turns dark brown.
Ingredients
For the jam
For jarring
Method
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Rest them in sugar
Layer the strawberries in a wide dish, scattering sugar between the layers. Cover and leave for 8 hours or overnight.
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Into the pan
Tip the strawberries into a pan along with their juice.
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Bring to the boil
Boil over a medium heat, lifting off the foam that gathers on the surface with a spoon.
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Keep it short
Boil for 25 minutes only. Shake the pan rather than stirring it.
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Add the lemon
Add the lemon juice and boil for another 3 minutes.
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Test the set
Drop a little onto a cold plate; if it runs slowly when you tilt it, the jam is ready.
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Fill the jars
Fill sterilised jars with the hot jam, close the lids, turn them upside down and leave to cool.
Tips
- Do not boil it long; anything over 25 minutes turns the colour dark brown.
- Shake the pan rather than stirring, and the strawberries stay whole.
- Do not skip the cold plate test; hot jam always looks thinner than it is.
Nutrition
Values are per serving and approximate.