10-minute easy strawberry jam
Love strawberries? Try this delicious, simple and healthy 10-minute easy strawberry jam recipe!
Strawberries are now in season and it is the perfect time to make this easy strawberry jam. I usually do not buy jams, they’re always full of sugar and the quantity of fruit (let alone the quality) is usually very low. I’m lucky enough to live in a place where farmers grow many kind of fruit. Moreover small farms around me do not use chemicals in their orchards. So their fruits are high quality and safe.
With time I learned how to make a good jam without tons of sugar. This way I can enjoy more fruit, especially those that have a short season like strawberries.
Best ingredients for making an easy strawberry jam
When you want to make a jam, the first thing you want to look for is high quality, organic or natural fruit. Sugar also has its role in the quality and taste of the final product. If you use low quality sugar it won’t taste as good. But let’s delve more into how to choose your ingredients.
Strawberries
Strawberries are every year the number one on the Dirty dozen list from the Environmental Working Group. Unfortunately it’s difficult to find high quality organic strawberries. The issue with this berry is that they are heavily loaded with pesticides and other chemicals, even after they are picked, rinsed in the field and washed before eating. So buying organic is crucial if you want a healthy jam. Try to avoid buying berries off-season too. They probably come from far away and, to sustain the long transfer, are picked too early to be sweet and tasty.
Try to find a local farmer that sell directly if you wan to be sure about the quality.
Sugar
While chemically speaking sugars are all the same, flavor wise the kind of sugar you choose may impact the taste of the jam. I can buy raw beetroot sugar that is less processed, and contains some trace minerals too. The flavor is a bit more intense and earthy and gives the jam a very nice aroma. Avoid sugar substitutes at all costs, like stevia or other so-called “natural sweeteners”. The mess up with your microbiome and actually are heavily processed too.
Lemon
Tthe secret ingredient in this recipe is the lemon. My parents have a huge lemon tree so I’m sure they’re do not use chemicals and they’re safe. I usually add a wedge of lemon to add natural pectin to the jam. The wedge must be whole, zest, pit and pulp. Always buy organic lemons too! Lemons from large chains have wax on the outside to elongate their shelf life.
Agar-agar
Another key ingredient to reduce the sugar content is agar-agar. Agar agar is a plant-based gelatin that will help thicken the jam. This way you’ll be able to use less sugar.
How to make strawberry jam in 10 minutes
Making a quick strawberry jam is easy and you’ll only need 4 ingredients. To speed up the process what I usually do is blend the strawberries and the lemon first. This way I do not have to cut the berries (that takes time..) and wait for them to soften in the pan.
I also add the agar-agar powder in the blender with the strawberries and lemon, this way I’m sure it will be well distributed in the jam.
Once all the ingredients are blended I add them to the pot with the sugar and bring to a boil. The jam should boil just for a few minutes, this way you will also retain some of the vitamins that are destroyed when cooked longer. Once the foam is almost disappeared the jam is ready.
How to check when the jam is ready
Checking for doneness of the jam is super easy. You just need to take a spoonful of jam and pour it onto a plate. Then tilt the plate. If the jam is too runny it needs more cooking. If it slides slowly it’s done. This applies to all jams. If you use agar-agar you may want to wait a minute before tilting the dish. This way the gelatin will start to kick and the control will be more accurate. Agar-agar solidifies when it cools. So if it’s too hot you won’t see the effect. In any case, even if it takes a little longer to cook, the only drawback is that the jam may turn out a little gelatinous. Taste wise it won’t be an issue.
Substitutions and variations
If you cannot find good quality strawberries you can always use other berries. Blueberries, blackberries they all work with this recipe. The same recipe actually goes well with other fruits like peaches or apricots. The more the fruit is ripen the less sugar you’ll need. The sugar quantity in the fruit will help. You can also use a mix of berries.
Tired of the same old jam? Try adding some spices like vanilla, or cinnamon. You can also add pieces of ginger. I like to add tiny strips of lemon zest. They caramelize when cooking and become small crunchy bits of flavor. Pair strawberries with oranges or rhubarb. Have fun and make your own special jam!
I do not have agar-agar, can I still make this recipe? Absolutely yes! If you cannot find agar-agar you can skip it and cook the jam just a few minutes more.
Jams can be used in many recipes you can make a crostata with this strawberry jam or spread it on top of my light cornetti recipe.
10-minute easy strawberry jam
Ingredients
- 500 gr strawberries
- 200 gr sugar
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/8 tsp of agar-agar
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries then blend them with the lemon and the agar-agar.
- Pour the mixture into a heavy bottomed pot and add the sugar.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat and cook for 5/6 minutes util the foam is almost gone.
- Check for doneness by pouring a tablespoon of jam onto a plate then tilting it. If the jam slides slowly it's done.
- Pour the jam into sterilized jar, cover and put on the counter upside down until they're completely cool to seal the vase.
