Fragole—the unique and fun-to-say Italian word for strawberries is a hard one to forget. Also hard to forget is the memory I have of crate upon crate of fresh fragole being brought into the kitchen at Mami Camilla cooking school during our classes. When this many strawberries were delivered from the produce stand next door, it signaled one thing: homemade strawberry jam was about to get underway.
Talk about a simple recipe: sweet, hulled strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice. Pectin, a vegetable-based thickening agent, is sometimes added when jam is going to be kept in storage for a while, but take my word for it, this sweet jam is so tasty that it won’t stick around for very long. Use this Sweet Strawberry Jam on a lightly browned piece of whole wheat toast at breakfast, or as the filling for your next thumbprint cookies, or better yet—grab a spoon for a taste right out of the jar!
(To view this recipe, click on the blue blog post title above)
Sweet Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- The ratio of strawberries to sugar is typically 1 part fruit to ¾ sugar, but it really depends on the sweetness of the berries. You certainly don’t want to mask the fruit’s natural flavor by adding too much sugar. Taste your washed and hulled berries before placing them in a large pot with the sugar; if they are especially sweet just use 1 part fruit to ½ sugar. Add the juice of 2 large lemons, and cook over medium-high heat until the mixture gels upon touching a cold plate. Then, store in sterilized jars or use immediately.
Directions:
Tagged: culinary school, externship, granulated sugar, Italy, jam, lemon juice, Mami Camilla cooking school, pectin, Sorrento, strawberries, strawberry jam
What’s funny is that Jarrod and I just made strawberry jam with our CSA strawberries using a very similar recipe!
Well you know what they say…great minds think alike…
It is hard not to want to make strawberry jam with all of the gorgeous berries that are in season! I distinctly remember you giving me a jar of your homemade strawberry jam last year one of the times you came to visit Scott and I. I remember it being super delicious–I remember enjoying it on many an English muffin and a few Pb&j sandwiches. :>