We Be Jammin'

A couple weeks ago I decided to try my hand at strawberry jam. My parents had a couple fancy jam jars from Christmas, so I wanted to put them to good use. In the future I'll be using Mason jars, which aren't as decorative, but just as useful. In these airtight jars, the jam should last a while; in a regular container it should keep about 2 weeks.

This task took less than an hour start to finish, none of this overnight business. Someone like me would get too nervous about burning down the house. Nono, this recipe cooks for about 30 minutes give or take. Make sure you use a heavy-duty pot though. Not to mention a stove with evenly distributed heat. I'm sure Le Creuset is the best, but some of us haven't made our fortunes yet so we use the grandmother's old (but darling) pot.

I won't lecture you about pectin, but I'll just let you know that's why the apple is in there. For the curious among you, you can look it up. Or not that I've learned how to read the "comments" you can leave one and I'll answer you.

Easy Strawberry Jam
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics (Ina Garten)
Makes 3 cups

3 pints fresh strawberries
3 cups superfine sugar
2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and small-diced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Place the strawberries in a colander and rinse them under cold running water. Drain and hull the strawberries. Cut the larger berries in half or quarters and leave the small berries whole. Place the strawberries in a deep, heavy-bottomed pot such as heavy Dutch oven and toss them with the sugar and orange-flavored liqueur.

Bring the berry mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Add the apple and blueberries and continue to keep the mixture at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally, until the jam reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. This should take 25 to 35 minutes. Skim and discard any foam that rises to the top. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature and then store covered in the refrigerator. It will keep refrigerated for at least 2 weeks. To keep the jam longer, pack and seal in canning jars according to the manufacturer's instructions.