Preserve It: Sun-Dried Jam | Mixed Greens Blog:
Sun-Dried Strawberry Jam
Sun-Dried Strawberry Jam
Recipe from "Well-Preserved" - (nominated for a James Beard Award) by Eugenia Bone
"5 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
2 cups sugar
Gently mix the strawberries and sugar in a non-reactive pan. Let them sit for 15 minutes while the juice is released and the sugar dissolves.
Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring and skimming the white foam off the top.
Immediately pour into a flat-bottomed dish or dishes with a surface large enough that the jam is no more than 1/2 inch think at any one point.
Let the jam cool and begin to thicken uncovered. Set it in a very sunny spot and it will thicken much more quickly. I tried the recommended method of covering it with plastic with punched holes to allow the moisture to continue to evaporate. Even with lots of holes, the water was condensing back into the jam. So I mostly left it uncovered. Some of the time I left it indoors by a sunny window and that worked too. If insects are a problem outdoors, you can always put some kind of netting over the top. Thankfully, the yellow jackets aren’t out but later in the summer, that could be an issue.
I saw this recipe in Alice Water’s Chez Panisse Fruit but saw a similar one in Putting Food By. If you want to keep jam longer than about a month in the fridge, you can pour it into sterilized jars and process it in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes after the water boils. Maybe next time…."
And more!
Sun-Cooked Strawberry Preserves
Time: 20 minutes plus at least 6 hours’ maceration and 2 to 4 days’ sun-cooking
2 quarts ripe, unblemished strawberries, rinsed (or raspberries, blackberries or blueberries)
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
1. Watch the weather: sun-cooking requires two or three full days of sunshine and temperatures above 80 degrees. Trim stems or leaves off berries and taste; if they are very sweet, use smaller amount of sugar. Toss berries and sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl. Let sit for at least 6 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally to distribute sugar as it dissolves.
2. Transfer berries to a nonstick or stainless steel pot and add lemon juice. Gradually bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce to a high simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Pour into a large stainless steel or plastic tray (or several, depending on size) into a layer 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep.
3. Set in direct sun and cover with netting or cheesecloth to keep bugs out and to allow evaporation. Stir gently every few hours. Leave out all day, or at least eight hours; bring indoors (or cover securely) at dusk, set out again in the morning.
4. Watch for syrup under berries to thicken. Depending on weather, this will take two to four days. Mixture may bubble as it heats, but if it starts to foam, can it immediately and use as syrup. (Foam indicates the beginning of fermentation; syrup will still be safe and delicious.) If weather changes, or if mixture does not seem to be cooking, proceed with slow-cooking, below.
5. When all syrup thickens, pour it and fruit into a pot and gently bring to a boil. Pour into sterilized glass jars; tighten lids. Place jars in a deep pot with water to cover. Boil jars for 10 minutes, then remove from pot with jar lifter or tongs. Let cool on counter, untouched, 4 to 6 hours. After 12 to 24 hours, check seals: lift each jar up by the lid, and press the lid to make sure the center is sucked down tight.
Store in a dry dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.
Yield: About 2 pints.
Note: Jam can be slow-cooked instead of sun-cooked. After macerating fruit in sugar, gently simmer mixture in a large pot, preferably nonstick, for 1 to 2 hours. Stir often; do not boil. When thickened, proceed with canning.
'via Blog this'
2 cups sugar
Gently mix the strawberries and sugar in a non-reactive pan. Let them sit for 15 minutes while the juice is released and the sugar dissolves.
Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring and skimming the white foam off the top.
Immediately pour into a flat-bottomed dish or dishes with a surface large enough that the jam is no more than 1/2 inch think at any one point.
Let the jam cool and begin to thicken uncovered. Set it in a very sunny spot and it will thicken much more quickly. I tried the recommended method of covering it with plastic with punched holes to allow the moisture to continue to evaporate. Even with lots of holes, the water was condensing back into the jam. So I mostly left it uncovered. Some of the time I left it indoors by a sunny window and that worked too. If insects are a problem outdoors, you can always put some kind of netting over the top. Thankfully, the yellow jackets aren’t out but later in the summer, that could be an issue.
I saw this recipe in Alice Water’s Chez Panisse Fruit but saw a similar one in Putting Food By. If you want to keep jam longer than about a month in the fridge, you can pour it into sterilized jars and process it in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes after the water boils. Maybe next time…."
And more!
Sun-Cooked Strawberry Preserves
Time: 20 minutes plus at least 6 hours’ maceration and 2 to 4 days’ sun-cooking
2 quarts ripe, unblemished strawberries, rinsed (or raspberries, blackberries or blueberries)
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice.
1. Watch the weather: sun-cooking requires two or three full days of sunshine and temperatures above 80 degrees. Trim stems or leaves off berries and taste; if they are very sweet, use smaller amount of sugar. Toss berries and sugar in a glass or ceramic bowl. Let sit for at least 6 hours or overnight. Stir occasionally to distribute sugar as it dissolves.
2. Transfer berries to a nonstick or stainless steel pot and add lemon juice. Gradually bring mixture to a boil, then immediately reduce to a high simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Pour into a large stainless steel or plastic tray (or several, depending on size) into a layer 1 to 1 1/2 inches deep.
3. Set in direct sun and cover with netting or cheesecloth to keep bugs out and to allow evaporation. Stir gently every few hours. Leave out all day, or at least eight hours; bring indoors (or cover securely) at dusk, set out again in the morning.
4. Watch for syrup under berries to thicken. Depending on weather, this will take two to four days. Mixture may bubble as it heats, but if it starts to foam, can it immediately and use as syrup. (Foam indicates the beginning of fermentation; syrup will still be safe and delicious.) If weather changes, or if mixture does not seem to be cooking, proceed with slow-cooking, below.
5. When all syrup thickens, pour it and fruit into a pot and gently bring to a boil. Pour into sterilized glass jars; tighten lids. Place jars in a deep pot with water to cover. Boil jars for 10 minutes, then remove from pot with jar lifter or tongs. Let cool on counter, untouched, 4 to 6 hours. After 12 to 24 hours, check seals: lift each jar up by the lid, and press the lid to make sure the center is sucked down tight.
Store in a dry dark place for up to one year. Refrigerate after opening.
Yield: About 2 pints.
Note: Jam can be slow-cooked instead of sun-cooked. After macerating fruit in sugar, gently simmer mixture in a large pot, preferably nonstick, for 1 to 2 hours. Stir often; do not boil. When thickened, proceed with canning.
'via Blog this'
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