makes about 6 cups
This is what I do with springtime strawberries that aren’t pretty enough to sit on top of a tart. I make them into jam, adding rhubarb and a little lemon to brighten their intense sweetness.
I got the basic technique for this jam from the French jam-making guru Christine Ferber. She makes the most incredible jams I’ve ever tasted, and I adopted her cookbook Mes Confitures as my preserving bible.
At first, however, I was skeptical about the need to macerate the fruit overnight in sugar. Can’t one just boil it longer and not bother? But having made jams both ways, I can tell you that macerating really does make a huge difference in texture. It allows the fruit to candy and absorb some of the sugar before it hits the heat, which helps it maintain its texture rather than falling apart to mush.
This recipe gives you a translucent, lemony jelly packed with candied chunks of strawberry and rhubarb. It’s excellent on toast or biscuits (here), though I often find myself eating it off the spoon in winter when I want a sugary treat that reminds me of the sweetness of spring.
1¼ pounds rhubarb, washed, trimmed, and diced (about 4½ cups)
1½ pounds strawberries, washed, trimmed, and diced (about 6 cups)
4½ cups sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon
4 to 6 sterilized jam jars, depending upon size (see Note)
1. In a large bowl, place the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Cover and let sit, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 hours or up to overnight.
2. Put a small plate or saucer in the freezer. Place a sieve over a large saucepan and pour the fruit mixture into the sieve, reserving the fruit for later. Affix a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and place the pan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to to medium-low and simmer until the temperature reads 230°F, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add the reserved fruit and bring the mixture back to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Check to see if the jam will set by placing a small spoonful on the chilled saucer. Push the edge of the jam puddle inward with your finger; if the puddle wrinkles, then the jam is done.
4. Ladle the hot jam into the sterilized jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace, and seal tightly. If you want to can the jars, process in a canner according to the manufacturer’s directions. Or, for shorter storage, turn the sealed jars upside down and allow them to cool to room temperature (see Note). The jar tops should be sealed and look concave. Properly sealed jars will keep in the refrigerator for at least several months or in the pantry for at least several weeks. If any jars don’t seal, store them in the fridge and use them up first.
note: I never can my jams with a pressure canner, preferring instead to make small batches of jam and use them up quickly. This is my method. (Please note that this does not comply with the USDA recommendations for safe canning.) If you have a dishwasher, wash the jars and lids (use the sterilize setting if your dishwasher has one) and take them out while they’re still hot. Or you can boil the jars and the lids for 10 minutes. Set them upside down on a clean dishtowel to dry. Ladle the hot jam into the hot jars, leaving ½ inch of headspace, and screw on the lids while everything is still steaming hot. Turn them upside-down and allow a vacuum seal to occur. You will know the jars are sealed if the tops of the jars look concave. This will preserve them for weeks and probably months. If you see mold, toss the jam. Note that botulism isn’t an issue with jam-making because of the high acid and sugar content, so you don’t need to worry about that. But moldy jam isn’t tasty.
If you don’t feel like dealing with any of this, just store the jam in the fridge and use it up in the next few months. Or pop it into the freezer for longer storage.