Strawberry jam for the winter

Strawberries are very healthy, containing vitamin C, several B vitamins, potassium, and iodine. To preserve all the berries' beneficial nutrients, minimize their cooking time. Let's learn how to make strawberry jam, explore winter recipes, and choose the best one.

Preparing jam containers for the winter

To keep jam fresh all winter, you need to choose the right container for cooking and storing it for several months. Avoid metal or aluminum containers when cooking jam. Stainless steel or enameled cookware is best. When cooking, use a wooden spoon or spatula.

Jars are best washed with baking soda, which doesn't contain any chemicals. You can sterilize them in a variety of ways: boiling, steaming, or placing them in the oven or microwave.
Read more: planting strawberries under black covering material.

How to make strawberry jam for the winter

Strawberries should be cooked for no more than 35-40 minutes, otherwise they lose all their valuable nutrients. Jam differs from preserves in that it is thick and viscous. Since strawberries contain a small amount of natural pectin, pectin powder is added to jam, or the amount of sugar is increased.

By following these simple rules, you can easily make strawberry jam for the winter. In winter, you can eat the jam spread on a slice of bread, or you can make a whole host of desserts: strawberry jam muffins, cakes, cookies, and much more. After all, it's always much better to feed your children homemade baked goods, especially with homemade preserves.

Strawberry jam for the winter, recipes

Option No. 1

Products:

• 2 kg of fresh strawberries
• 1600 g of sugar
• 5-6 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Zest from one lemon

Before you begin making jam, prepare the jars and lids. Wash the glassware with laundry soap or baking soda and rinse thoroughly under the tap. Turn on the oven, place the prepared glass jars upside down on the middle rack, and set the temperature to 150 degrees Celsius (300 degrees Fahrenheit). Let them sit for 15 minutes to sterilize the jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover with water, and let them simmer for about three minutes. Leave them in the hot boiled water.

Wash the strawberries, but don't remove the stems before washing, otherwise they will lose their flavor. Once washed, sort them and remove the green pith. Next, weigh the strawberries and sugar, juice one or two lemons, depending on their juiciness, and zest one. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will thicken the jam, and the zest will add a wonderful flavor. This strawberry jam recipe is a delight for the winter.

Wash an enamel bowl with baking soda and add the strawberries, sugar, juice, and lemon zest. Place on the stove, turn on the heat, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. If foam appears, skim it off periodically. Once the jam comes to a boil, reduce the heat, time the cooking time, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 minutes.

After the jam has cooled slightly, mash the berries. You can do this with a blender or a wooden masher. If the jam is a little runny, that's okay; it will thicken once it cools completely.

Pour the jam into clean jars, cover with lids, and place in a large bowl. Add enough water to reach the top of the jar. Turn on the stove and cook for 10 minutes. Roll up the jars with a key or screw them on with screw-on lids. Wrap them upside down.
See also: How to preserve assorted cucumbers and tomatoes for the winter, step-by-step recipe with photos.

Option No. 2

This recipe for strawberry jam for the winter is very simple; even the most novice homemaker can make it.

Products:

• 2.0 kg of sugar
• 2.5 kg of strawberries

Sort the berries, wash them, and remove any green stems and any poor-quality fruit. To ensure a thick jam, ripe strawberries need to be crushed. To do this, press them through a coarse sieve. This process is a bit laborious, but the jam will be thick even without any additional additives. This is the same principle used to prepare jams.

Pour the resulting berry puree into the container where it will simmer, add all the sugar, and set the mixture on the stove. When the foam appears, skim it off, and once it boils, reduce the heat. Let it simmer, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for half an hour, then let it cool. Once the berries have cooled, turn the heat back on and repeat the process two more times. Thus, the strawberries have been simmered and cooled three times; they now have the consistency of a good, thick homemade jam.

Don't let it cool for the last time; pour it immediately into sterilized jars while it's hot. Seal it using your preferred method, wrap it in a warm blanket, and be sure to place it upside down.

Option No. 3

Victoria Jam for the Winter: A Homemade Recipe

Products:

• 1000 g Victoria strawberries
• 1000 g of sugar

Wash the strawberries in small batches so they don't sit in water for too long, as this will cause them to lose some of their wonderful juice, which will affect the flavor of the jam. Blend the prepared berries in a blender, then transfer the berry puree to a stainless steel bowl, add sugar, stir, and place on the stove. Once it boils, reduce heat to low for five minutes and turn off the heat. Let it cool and then boil again, this time for 10 minutes, then remove from the stove and let it cool. Bring to a boil a third time, let it simmer for 10 minutes, and then pour into clean, sterile glass jars while still hot. Wrap in a warm blanket and leave overnight, then you can store it in the basement.

Option No. 4

2 kg of fresh ripe strawberries and the same amount of sugar

Sort the berries, wash, remove any green leaves, place in a bowl, and sprinkle with a kilogram of sugar. Mix gently with your hands and let sit for about 16 hours to allow the strawberries to release their juices. Then add the remaining sugar and stir. Place the bowl over high heat, stirring frequently and skimming off any foam. Then simmer over reduced heat for 20 minutes. While the jam is cooking, wash the jars, preferably with baking soda, and sterilize them as usual. Boil the lids and leave them in the boiling water. Carefully pour the hot strawberry jam into half-liter jars and seal. Wrap them up and turn them upside down. As you can see, making strawberry jam for the winter is not at all difficult.

Option No. 5

Products:

• 1 kg 500 g ripe, but not overripe berries
• 1 kg 200 g granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon citric acid

Clean and sort the berries, then puree them using a blender or potato masher. Pour the mixture into a stainless steel bowl, add all the sugar and citric acid, stir, and turn on the stove. Stir several times until it boils to prevent burning. Skim off any foam that forms. Once it begins to bubble, reduce the heat and let it simmer for half an hour. Let it cool, then turn the heat back on. Bring to a boil, let it simmer for five minutes, and then pour into clean, sterile jars. Seal with a key.

We've shown you how easy it is to make strawberry jam for the winter and stock up on this wonderful and healthy berry for the winter cold.

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