Strawberry Jam

I had never made jam before, but I just started getting into canning this year, and strawberry season was coming to an end, so I decided to get started.

There are many different recipes for jam making. This one does not involve the use of prepared pectin. The resulting jam was not fully set, but was thick enough to spread well without running much (at fridge temperature, which is where I am storing it). The recipe is from 'Jam It, Pickle It, Cure It' by Karen Solomon.

Take 1.5 lb of strawberries. Wash them in cold water. Allow them to dry, then remove the green tops and cut into slices or chunks (however you would like them to be in the finished jam). Place in a large bowl. Add 2 lb sugar. Juice 2 lemons, saving the seeds and hulls. The seeds should be wrapped up in a cheesecloth bag and tied. Add the juice to the strawberries. Mix everything together gently and let it sit for at least 4 hours. You can put it in the fridge and leave it there for a while if you like - mine sat for at least 2 days.

Once the strawberries have macerated (which is what mixing them with the sugar and letting them sit is called), transfer the entire contents of the bowl into your largest pot (preferably a stockpot). Add the lemon hulls and bagged seeds. Bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes and then reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to simmer until the temperature of the liquid reaches 221 F. This will take a little while - maybe 30 minutes. It will produce foam as it boils - you can remove and discard it. You should also remove the bag of seeds and the hulls at the end.

Once the jam reaches the target temperature (the gelling point), ladle it carefully (it is hot) through a funnel into sterilized jars. It should fill about five half-pint jars. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 4 months. If you want it to last longer, you can process it in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes. Let the jars sit for a few hours (I leave them overnight) and check that they are sealed. If so, the jam should keep for a year.

Note 1 - If you are going to can the jam and have not already done so, you should read the USDA guide to home canning. There are considerable risks to doing it the wrong way, so this guide is highly recommended.

Note 2 - The finished jam was a little lemony. You could reduce the amount of lemon juice used slightly if you wish, but the hulls and seeds should not be omitted as they are a source of natural pectin.

Note 3 - 221 F is the gelling temperature for jam at sea level. If you are not at sea level, the gelling point will be different (it is lower at higher altitudes).

Note 4 - 1.5 lb = 680g; 2 lb = 910g; 221 F = 105 C.

Strawberries and whipped cream

I picked up some fresh local strawberries from Adams Berry Farm, and decided to serve them for dessert with some homemade whipped cream. This whipped cream is called Creme Chantilly, but is a lot simpler to make than it sounds.

Take 1/2 cup cold heavy cream and pour into the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or you can do it by hand, which takes a little longer and requires more effort). Add a splash of vanilla extract and 2 tbsp powdered sugar and whip on high speed until the cream thickens noticeably. Careful though - if you whip for too long, it will turn to butter (if whipping by hand, do not worry - this is unlikely). Serve the cold cream with the strawberries. Enjoy!

Note 1 - If you find that 1/2 cup of cream sits too low in the bowl for the mixer's whisk to reach. just add a little more.

Note 2 - Metric info: 1/2 cup = 120 ml.

Mixed Berry Frozen Yogurt

OK, so I realize it is the middle of winter, and not everyone wants to be eating frozen desserts, but I just got an ice cream maker, and I have never made frozen yogurt. I had some plain yogurt left from the Moroccan lamb stew, so I figured why not?
I used a recipe that is based on one that came with my Cuisinart ice cream maker. The day before, I placed the mixing bowl of the ice cream maker in the freezer, and put 12 oz of frozen berries (I used roughly half and half strawberries and blueberries) in the refrigerator to thaw. The following day, I pureed the berries in a blender, strained them through a couple sieves to remove the seeds and transferred the puree to a large bowl. I added 2 cups plain yogurt, a splash of vanilla extract, 1/2 cup of whole milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. I whisked well to dissolve the sugar and then poured the mix into the ice cream maker and churned until starting to solidify. I then froze it in a yogurt container (the quart container that the yogurt came in - I always save these).
I enjoyed the flavor of the finished product but found the texture to be a little hard. It has only been frozen for about 8 hours, so it may change, but I think there is too much water in it. Next time I will omit the milk and maybe increase the yogurt. More sugar would help with the consistency too, but I felt it was sweet enough. Maybe I could drain the yogurt?
Not too bad for a first attempt...