Who doesn’t love Strawberries? Strawberries are great to eat fresh, in cakes, like the Strawberry & Citrus Cake and in salads – for example the Strawberry Quinoa Salad. But do you know how to preserve strawberries in order to enjoy them longer? Well, there are many ways and one of the best and the easiest of them is to make a jam. So, in this post I am sharing a recipe for a wonderful Strawberry Vanilla Jam that you can make very easily and then keep in your pantry for several months.
In the past I thought that strawberry jam was very hard to make. I thought that it would take many hours of preparation in the kitchen and constant stirring in front of the stove. But when I made it for the first time, I realized I was so wrong! It literally takes you less than an hour to make a small batch of jam and it is much more delicious than store-bought!
My mom is a specialist of jams. I suspect she can make a jam out of every fruit that exists on earth. She taught me some very useful tips about Strawberry Vanilla Jam.
Mom’s tips for a great Strawberry Vanilla Jam
- Prefer small sized strawberries
- While the jam is simmering, whisk from time to time, to avoid burning.
- Test for readiness with a drop on a plate. If it doesn’t spill when the plate is slightly tilted, the jam is ready!
- Add a bit of citric acid at the end, right before taking the pan from the stove.
Why is the citric acid needed? If you want to keep your strawberry jam for several months, citric acid would prevent the sugar from crystallizing. However, you can skip the citric acid if you are planning to make a small batch and to eat it in a short time.
Vanilla, on the other hand, is one of the best spices to complement the strawberries. Both flavours together make a really aromatic combination that will please your palate! Every time I prepare the Strawberry Vanilla Jam, my whole house smells unbelievably good for the whole day.
The best thing about this strawberry vanilla jam is that there are so many nice ways to enjoy it: you can add it to this wonderful Homemade German Pancake, you can make Homemade Strawberry “Pop-Tarts” with it or you can just have it on a piece of bread. No matter how you decide to eat it, the Strawberry Vanilla Jam is a wonderful and delicious experience!
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Strawberry Vanilla Jam
Ingredients
- 600 g (21 oz) fresh strawberries - use Florida Strawberries for best results
- 300 g (1.5 cups) granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- pinch of citric acid
Instructions
Wash and clean the strawberries very well and remove the stems. Chop the smaller ones into quarts and the bigger ones into eights.
Wash well 2 small glass jars and their lids. Keep the jars in a warm place (or in the oven heated to 100 degrees C/ 200 degrees F). By warming them we are preventing breakage from the temperature difference, as they will be filled with hot jam.
In a large pan over medium heat combine chopped strawberries and sugar. With a knife split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape down its seeds. Add both the seeds and the bean to the strawberry mixture. Whisk from time to time until it starts simmering. Lower slightly the heat and let simmer for about 40-60 minutes. Stir occasionally to avoid burning on the bottom.
Test he jam with a drop of juice on a plate: if it doesn’t spill around when the plate is moved, the jam is ready.
Add a pinch of citric acid, stir and remove the pan from the heat.
Fill the jars with the hot jam almost until the top and close them with the lids tightly. Place them on the kitchen counter upside down: this will ensure the lids are perfectly sealed. Let the jars stay this way until they cool until room temperature.
Keep the sealed jars in a dry place at room temperature for up to a year. After opening the jar, keep it in a cool place.
Recipe Notes
Note: This is a small batch jam. If you decide to make double or triple batch, consider that the boiling time might increase.
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