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In , on June 6, 2015 with No Comments

It’s Jammin’ Time: Strawberry Honey Jam

Kevin and I needed freezer bags this weekend so we could butcher our chickens, so that meant a trip to Kalona and the Stringtown grocery store. Those who live in eastern Iowa know about Kalona and this store. It’s run by the Amish, and you can buy just about anything there in bulk, from spices to noodles and homemade baked goods.

We found our chicken freezer bags, but the store has expanded since we were last there, and they’ve added a produce section. We found the most beautiful, fresh-picked strawberries that I’ve seen in a long time, so, of course, I came home with a flat to make some homemade jam – and a lot of other things for canning and smoking fish later in the season. And some homemade pecan-topped cinnamon rolls. And cheese curds. Good thing we don’t live next door to this place!

I love to make jam, but I hate the fact that so many jam recipes take a ton of white sugar, something I’ve been trying to avoid. Last summer I made several different jam recipes and substituted honey for the white sugar, so I decided to do the same with these gorgeous strawberries.

 

 

I used a raw buckwheat honey, which was delicious on its own, and the result is amazing strawberry jam. I did use pectin, which I don’t normally do, because there isn’t a lot of pectin in strawberries, and I didn’t want to add apple (a natural source of pectin). Two quarts of berries yielded 5 half-pints of jam in the end.

Strawberry Honey Jam

Ingredients:
2 quarts freshly picked strawberries, washed and hulled
1 1/3 cup unprocessed, raw honey
1 box powdered pectin
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash and hull strawberries. In a large pot, add the strawberries, and mash well. Add honey and powdered pectin to the pot. Stir until combined. Heat mixture to a boil, and stir constantly until the jam starts to thicken. The length of time depends on your pot size, how juicy the strawberries are, etc. I stirred this batch for approximately 20 minutes.

 

 

 

When thickened, ladle jam into sterilized jam jars. Add lids and rings; tighten just until finger-tight. Process in a water bath canner for 10 minutes.

Yield:  5 half-pints

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In , , on June 14, 2014 with No Comments

It’s Jammin’ Time: Strawberry Balsamic Jam….Plus Baking Powder Biscuits!

I’ve been craving strawberry jam all winter, and I finally got my hands on some strawberries yesterday. Going through all the different jam recipes I’ve accumulated, I decided to try a strawberry balsamic one that I’ve seen on a couple of different blogs. Balsamic vinegar really adds sweetness when heated…I use it all the time when I roast veggies, so it made sense that it would add sweetness to the strawberries, and boy did it! I think I’ve found my most favorite strawberry jam recipe 🙂

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

(This recipe is for 1 batch of jam….I doubled it, and it turned out awesome.)

2-1/2 pounds strawberries (about 7 cups), sliced
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar

Rinse and trim strawberries. Toss with lemon juice and then stir in the sugar. Let fruit macerate for about an hour or so until the juices start to run.

Place the berries in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. The strawberries will begin to break down as they heat up. (I used a potato masher to help speed up the breakdown process.)

Keep stirring over moderate heat until the mixture becomes translucent and has a nice rolling boil. Add balsamic vinegar and black pepper. A jell test on a spoon will let you know if the mixture has thickened enough, but this will not set up into a firm jam.

Skim off any foam and ladle into prepared half-pint jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yield:  6 pints

 

 

And what good weekend breakfast is complete without some homemade baking powder biscuits to try out these jams on??

Baking Powder Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold
3/4 cup milk, cold
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt into mixer bowl with flat beater. Stir dry ingredients about 30 seconds to evenly mix together.

Cut cold butter into cubes and add to the bowl. Combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs about the size of a pea.

Add milk and combine until the dough starts to cling to the beater. Avoid over-mixing.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat the dough to 1/2-inch to 1-inch thickness. Cut with a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or your favorite way). Place on greased cookie sheet and brush with melted butter, if using.

Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Yield:  Approximately 12 biscuits.

I had to try out both the spiced rhubarb jam (on the left), as well as the strawberry balsamic jam…both are delicious!!

 

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