strawberry jam

I bought some massive bags of frozen berries some time ago and they were really REALLY heavy on the strawberries so I separated them out and kept them aside with the intention of making them into jam. This was SO EASY. Basically its equal parts berries to sugar with a squeeze of lemon juice. Chop up the berries in a rough chop and let sit with the sugar for an hour or so then cook slowly on medium heat until the jam thickens and 'coats' the back of a spoon. Ladle into sterilised jars.

Notes: *Sorry for the stock photo, mine was too appalling to post (but I assure you mine actually looked EXACTLY like this). I don't know whether it was because they were frozen berries and released some water but I found it took AGES to boil down, like an hour. I also dont properly sterilise jars and I've never had a problem, I clean the jar thoroughly and boil in water for about half an hour then let cool. Wipe the insides of the lids and the mouth of the jars with vinegar before sealing the lids tight. I've also just filled the jars in the past with boiled water and let sit and never had a problem. I think proper steralisation is advisable if you are storing preserves for extended periods of time (over 6 months). For information on safe canning/jarring practices see thislink.

for other preserves see: nanna pats tomato relish and Chilli Oil