Small Batch Strawberry Vanilla Jam
Ingredients
- 1 quart strawberries a little over 1 1/2 pounds, should be approximately 4 cups of chopped berries
- 2 cups sugar divided
- 1 vanilla bean split and scraped
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
Instructions
- Wash and chop berries. Toss them with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla beans/seeds and place in a large jar or bowl.
- Allow the berries to macerate for at least 2-3 hours and up to 72 hours.
- When you're ready to make the jam, prepare three half pint jars.
- Pour macerated strawberries into a large pot and add the remaining cup of sugar.
- Bring to a boil and cook until the jam reaches 220 degrees, stirring very regularly.
- Add the lemon zest and juice in the final 5 minutes of cooking.
- Once the jam has reached 220 degrees, remove the pan from the heat.
- Pour jam into your prepared jars.
- Wipe rims, apply lids and rings and process in your canner for 10 minutes (normally I'd admonish you not to start your timer until the water has returned to a boil. However, as long as your water is quite hot when the jars go into the canner, the time it will take to return to boiling should be minimal).
- When time is up, remove jars from canner and let them cool on a towel-lined counter top.
- When jars are cool enough to handle, remove rings and check seals.
- If any jars are not sealed, store them in the fridge and use them first.
- Store sealed jars in a cool, dark place.
Notes
When I first wrote this recipe, vanilla beans were relatively cheap. Like many things, their price has gone way, way up in recent years. A really good substitute is vanilla bean paste (the jar will tell you how much to use in place of a bean). You can also use vanilla extract. Stir a generous teaspoon in at the end of cooking to ensure that the flavor doesn't evaporate out.