Even though I’ve already gone strawberry picking twice (and come home with 25 pounds of berries total), I’m tempted to go again. Initially, it was merely so that I could freeze more strawberries. I know they won’t last long come fall.
But now I want to pick more strawberries so that I can make more of this jam.
Seriously. I didn’t even think I liked jam all that much.
Apparently I do. Maybe because the berries were the freshest possible. Or maybe because I followed Christine Ferber’s three-day method for making it. Or it could be because of the red wine. That is definitely a possibility.
Make this jam. Make it now, before strawberries go out of season. If you don’t think you’ll need all 6 jars, it would also make a great Christmas gift.
Though I have a feeling you’ll want to keep it all to yourself. I know I do. That’s why I want to make a second batch; a few more jars for me, and a few to gift to my family and friends. I’d be tempted to keep both batches entirely to myself, but I won’t be greedy. At least I’ll try not to be.
Strawberry Red Wine Jam
Makes 6 half-pint jars
Adapted from Christine Ferber’s Mes Confitures
3 pounds strawberries
2 cups dry red wine
3 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 package (or 6 tablespoons) pectin
Wash and hull the strawberries. Gently mix with the wine and sugar in a large nonreactive bowl. Cover the bowl with a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, bring the strawberries, wine and sugar to a boil over medium heat. Return to the bowl, cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, prepare for canning. Wash the jars and flat lids with hot, soapy water. Put the jars in the canning pot and fill the pot with hot water. Heat over medium-high heat to keep the jars hot. Place the lids in a heat-proof bowl.
Pour the strawberries into a colander set over a large bowl. Move the collected juice to a large stockpot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the juice is 212F on a candy thermometer.
Add the strawberries and pectin to the stockpot. Simmer, stirring often, until the temperature is 220F. As the jam cooks, smash some of the strawberries with the back of a wooden spoon to help even out the texture.
Savvy Tip: The jam will still seem very liquidy at this point, but it will firm up as it cools.
Move some of the boiling water from the canning pot into the heat-proof bowl containing the lids. Line the hot jars up on a folded towel, then pour the water out of the heat-proof bowl and off the lids.
Fill the jars up to 1/2” below the rim. Use a clean towel to wipe any preserves off the rims, then top each jar with a lid and a tightened ring. Place the jars back in the canning pot and make sure they are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Place the jars on a folded towel and allow to sit, undisturbed, for 24 hours. Check the seals of the lids after 1 hour. If a seal has not formed, refrigerate the jar immediately.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
that looks amazing!!!
jen @ Jen is Green recently posted..Late Father’s Day Dinner
You must have strawberries coming out of your wha-who
haha another great berry recipe!! so creative
Lauren @ What Lauren Likes recently posted..Heaven is a place on Earthin Strawberry Form
It probably doesn’t help that we picked another 14 pounds this weekend…
This sounds incredible! I would never think to make jam with wine, but now I want to
I need strawberries!
Do it!!! I did peach preserves with white wine last year too. SO good!
Woah – that sounds even better
Guess I better get some fruit soon!
Well, I have to be honest…wine is just about my favorite thing…ever! Followed closely by strawberries, so this looks like a winner!
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles recently posted..Thick and Thin
It definitely is…I’m making a second batch today!
That Jam looks fabulous!! We have a strawberry patch and I swear every year we need to expand because it just doesn’t last long enough. And I refuse to buy fresh produce out of season! Thanks for sharing,
Aimee
Aimee @ ShugarySweets recently posted..Caramel Cracker Bars
I do, too. Which is why I froze and preserved soooo many!
Wow! Great idea and I just passed a sign yesterday…”Pick the Strawberries Today-Can the Jam Tomorrow” Sounds like a plan to me
Lisa recently posted..New in the News- Two great blogs and the Lowcountry Artist Market
I really enjoy your style! I have learned a lot and it has been interesting
Andrew recently posted..Jazz Rookies Take In Manhattan By Dining At The Olive Garden
This looks unbelievably good! I’ve always wanted to make real jam, but I sadly lack proper canning equipment. I’m still hoping to make a few batches of fridge jam this summer though.
Anyways, I would love it if you were willing to share this recipe in my summer recipes blog hop: http://www.favedietsblog.com/the-healthy-hop-june-edition/
I think you could make this and freeze it for a few months instead of canning!
a) i love that my best friend from high school and my cousin read your blog.
b) and comment
c) i also love that I will now be singing “Strawberry Wine” and “Red Red Wine” all day long.
d) you can sing along, too.
e) we should start a list of things we might want to do when your here.
f) and by might want to do, i literally mean MIGHT want to do. Let’s keep the “MUST DO” list SHORT (brunch. run. etc.) and the MIGHT want to do list long and we can go with what we feel
g) what do you think?
Heather recently posted..Five Favorite Posts of 2011 [Thus Far]
Agreed on all points!
This looks delicious! I wish I found it before I processed all of my 22 lbs of berries!
Hey Julie! Thanks for the great jam recipe! My boyfriend and I made this jam two weeks ago after berry-picking and have been impressing our friends since then with the strawberry red wine jam with goat cheese and crackers — yum! Hope all is well with you!
I haven’t had it with goat cheese yet (we don’t have any in the house at the moment), but I’m excited to hear it is a good pairing! Hope you’re doing well too!
This looks amazing. I have Christine Ferber’s book, and still haven’t made anything from it! As soon as strawberries show up, this is first on the list! Thanks for highlighting this recipe.
The Wimpy Vegetarian recently posted..Taming Broccoli Rabe
Six jars of this delicious jam are processing right now. I only used one cup of sugar and it was plenty sweet. Thanks for a great post.