So it’s the end of the summer season, but somehow there is still some really lovely, fragrant berries in the stores around here. I bought two pints of local strawberries on a whim (and they were on sale) last week and I needed to do something with them. I love eating them on their own, but these, because they were the end of the season I think, were juuuust a hint on the tart side. I decided I needed to make something that would make them last a little longer and sweeten them up. Refrigerator jam!
Making a quick jam like this is perfect when you have a bit of berries (two pints or so) and you just have a little time rather then the whole day it takes to put up jam.
This jam will last probably a month in the fridge, and mine came out a little runnier than proper jam. But it has a really fresh berry flavor and wins points for being quick and easy.
I think this recipe could probably apply to any type of fruit you want to use:
- Chop.
- Add sugar and lemon juice.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes over medium-low head, until slightly thickened.
- Let cool, store in a jar.
You’ll notice my strawberries stayed in tact, and my jam is a bit chunky. I like it! But if you want to make a smoother jam, I would suggest pureeing half or all the strawberries, after cooking them with sugar and lemon juice, then let cool and put in a jar.
Recipe slightly adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, I totally recommend it!
- 1 quart (2 pints) fresh or frozen whole strawberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- pinch of sea or kosher salt
- Hull the strawberries and slice them thin.
- Add them to a medium sized skillet, along with the sugar, salt and lemon juice.
- Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and gets syrupy, about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and let cool. You can see how thick it is, and if you would like them thicker, continue cooking over medium for another 2-4 minutes.
- Let cool for at least an hour before putting in a jar and storing in the fridge or serving.