The following post is from my sister-in-law’s husband Jim. He is a fellow foodie lover and we’ve had extensive conversations about food, food preparation, different dishes we have tried, cookbooks, food blogs etc… So last weekend, at a family party, I asked him if he would like, I would love to post one of his recipes, so here it is: Please comment, I told him he should have a food blog too!
We found fresh strawberries at a local supermarket for $0.99/lb last weekend, and so we offered a few pounds of them at a buffet party we were hosting Saturday. Two pounds remained uneaten after the party, so we wanted to use them up in something other than a dessert (we also had leftover cake). I decided to see if I could quickly make a small batch of strawberry jam. I cut up about 1+1/2 pounds of hulled berries, added a little sugar, brandy and vanilla, and simmered the mixture in a saucepan for 45 minutes. That’s it. I ended up with 1+1/2 cups of not-too-sweet and very fresh tasting jam. Try it with Jennifer’s English Muffins. The brandy adds a little complexity to the flavor, but I’m sure the jam would also be good without it.
QUICK AND EASY STRAWBERRY JAM INGREDIENTS:
4 cups quartered strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brandy, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD:Combine strawberries, sugar, and 3 Tablespoons brandy in a 2 quart saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced to 1+1/2 cups (about 45 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in 1 Tablespoon brandy and vanilla. Cool to room temperature. Chill and cover, preferably in a glass jar. Jam will keep in the refrigerator for2 weeks.
YIELD: 1+1/2 cups (Serving Size: 1 Tablespoon) CALORIES 26; FAT 0.1g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CARBOHYDRATE 6g; SODIUM 0.0 mg.
Simmering in the pot!
Finished product! Thanks Jim for taking the time to make this and share it with my readers. I can’t wait to make it!
Nice recipe and photo’s. Jim should definitely get his own blog 🙂
Oh my gosh, that is awesome!!!! YUM!
I had NO clue making jam was that easy. I remember my Grandmother making it when I was little and it was always a huge production. Maybe b/c she was making large quantities? But I’ve always shy-ed away from it b/c of that! Now I’ll have to reconsider b/c jam is getting expensive nowadays – esp. the “just fruit” one we buy to avoid all the chemicals.
The color of the jam is gorgeous – looks more bright than any store bought jam!
Christina, it might have been your Grandmother was making jelly and not jam, which would be a bit more involved. But I’ve also found things that I used to think were difficult to make when I was young really are no big deal now. I just wish I wasn’t so lazy. 🙂
I’m gonna have to start my own blog just so Jim can Guest Post for me too!
BTW–I was at said party and Jim needs to tell about the Beef Tenderloin in his next posting!