Many of us love strawberry jam and remember its taste since childhood. Such a delicacy can brighten up the most overcast day, so you should learn how to cook it at home. And so that your work, time and money are not wasted, we invite you to explore some exclusive recipes. making strawberry jam.
About the benefits of strawberries
In addition to high taste, strawberry has a huge list of useful properties. It contains vitamins, macro- and microelements necessary for the body.
Did you know? The ancient Romans and Greeks received jam by digesting fruits and berries in honey. By the way, this delicacy has a great health benefits and high taste.
The benefits of strawberry berries:
- Due to the large amount of potassium and magnesium, the berries favorably influence the work of the heart muscle, stabilize the blood pressure level, prevent the development of heart attacks and strokes, protect from stress and depression. Calcium and phosphorus strengthen bone and dental tissues.
- The beneficial effect on the hematopoietic system is due to magnesium, cobalt, copper and iron. These minerals are present in strawberries in optimal quantities. They protect people from the development of anemia and cancer of the hematopoietic system.
- A large amount of vitamin C helps strengthen the immune system, and vitamin E is a natural antioxidant that removes free radicals and salts of heavy metals from the body.
- Strawberries also contain a lot of folic acid, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels.
- Vitamin A improves visual acuity, rejuvenates and gives plasticity to the skin.
- Salicylic acid in strawberries has a powerful antibacterial property. During colds, it helps to reduce body temperature and reduce inflammation in the cells of the body.
We advise you to read what are useful berries such as: sunberry, hawthorn, gooseberry, cloudberry, cherry and raspberry.
Recipe 1
The first recipe will allow you to make delicious and fragrant jam in just 20 minutes. The finished product will have a high density, excellent taste and long shelf life.
Required Ingredients
To make a delicious strawberry treat, we need the following ingredients:
- sugar - 0.7 kg;
- strawberries - 1 kg;
- half a teaspoon of butter;
- agar-agar - 2 tsp;
- water - 50 ml.
How to make jam
To make the jam you get really tasty and thick, you need to follow these step-by-step actions:
- To begin, remove the stem from the berries, and then cut each into several small pieces.
- Put the sliced berries in a saucepan and cover them with sugar. Leave everything at room temperature for 2-3 hours (during this time strawberries will put the juice, which will dissolve all the sugar).
- Now pour 50 ml of water into a separate container and add agar-agar there. Leave the mixture for 15-20 minutes.
- Put the strawberry mixture on a small fire and bring to a boil. When the berries boil, add butter to the saucepan with them (this is the secret of this recipe, the oil minimizes foaming during boiling).
- Add the agar-agar diluted in water to the berries and boil everything on low heat for 20 minutes. At this time, you can begin the process of sterilizing the cans (put the jars in a large metal container with water and boil them for 7-10 minutes).
- We pour the finished product in cans and cork them tightly. Then put in a dark place and wrap a warm blanket (at least a day).
Important! In an aluminum pan, strawberries are capable of oxidizing, and in a stainless container, they acquire an unpleasant taste. Therefore, it is best to cook mashed potatoes in an enamel pot.
In the process of freezing, the jars with jam sometimes need to be turned over so that the pieces of berries are evenly distributed throughout the volume.
Recipe 2
The second recipe for strawberry jam allows you to get no less fragrant and thick product. Only in this case will we chop the strawberries to a monotonous liquid consistency.
Required Ingredients
For making strawberry delicacies we need:
- strawberries - 2 kg;
- agar-agar - 10 g;
- granulated sugar - 1.5 kg.
Did you know? Strawberry jam is able to rejuvenate the body! All thanks to natural antioxidants in its composition. But for such an effect, it should not be cooked for hours (best of all - no longer than 15 minutes).
How to make jam
Step-by-step cooking process:
- Fill strawberries with sugar and leave for a few hours to let the berries make juice.
- Next, using a mixer, beat them. We should have a thick mash.
- Take a sieve and pass through it the resulting mass. This is done so that the syrup is separated from the bones and large pieces.
- We repeat once again the third item for the remaining puree with large bones.
- Bring the puree to a boil and boil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Such procedures must be repeated 3 times, between each heat treatment should be paused for 30-40 minutes, so that the mash cools.
- In the process of the third boiling add puree agar-agar. In the meantime, sterilizing banks.
Find out how to sterilize jars at home.
- Cooked jam is poured into cans, corked and put on preservation, pre-wrapped with a warm blanket.
Recipe 3
This jam recipe is especially fragrant and exclusive, as in the cooking process cherry is added to it - the favorite berry of many children.
Required Ingredients
To get a delicious strawberry jam with the addition of sweet cherries, you need to stock up on such ingredients:
- strawberry berries - 1 kg;
- sugar - 1 kg;
- pitted sweet cherry - 300 g (you can put more, just rely on your taste);
- water - 250 ml;
- citric acid - 1/2 tsp.
We advise you to read about the methods of preparation for the winter: currants, yoshty, apples, pears, plums, cherries, sweet cherries, apricots, blueberries, chokeberries, sunberry, sea buckthorn.
How to make jam
Step-by-step instructions for making delicious jams with cherries and strawberries:
- To begin with, pour strawberry berries into a saucepan with a thick bottom and pour a glass of water there.
- Put the saucepan on a small fire, bring to a boil and cook for no longer than 5 minutes. Such a small trick allows you to increase the return of strawberry juice. The fact is that strawberry berries, without preliminary steaming, do not give up moisture well and are difficult to kill.
- After steaming, add sugar to the saucepan and interrupt the berries with a mixer.
- Again, put the pan on the fire, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes. In this case, the fire must be weak, otherwise the foam may rise too high.
- After 12-15 minutes of boiling, add cherries to puree and cook for another 5 minutes. You should not cook for more than 5 minutes, as the sweet cherry is prepared very quickly, and the initial high temperature of the syrup is sufficient.
- At the very end of cooking add citric acid, which will preserve the natural color of the jam.
- Sterilize the jars and fill them with a cooked treat. We cork, turn upside down and wrap a warm blanket. After 24 hours, jars can be moved to a refrigerator or cellar.
What else can you add to taste and flavor?
Fans of taste experiments can try adding different berries, fruits and spices to the strawberry delicacy. Supplements are best made during the cooking process.
Strawberry jam goes well with citrus fruits (lemon, orange).
We recommend you to read how to make gooseberry jam.
You can add only lemon zest (without pulp and juice), so you do not spoil the taste of strawberries, and a subtle flavor will become the highlight of the jam. On 1 kg of strawberries can be put no more than 2 tsp. lemon rind (add mashed potatoes after boiling).
As spices you can try ginger, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom. Add no more than half a teaspoon per 1 kg of berries, otherwise you can lose the true flavor of the delicacy. Apricots, raspberries, peaches, blackberries, mulberries - all this can be an excellent addition to strawberry jam.
How to store strawberry jam
It is best to store strawberry delicacy in a dark cool place. At low temperatures, the shelf life can be extended by 3 times. For example, at room temperature, strawberry jam can be stored for about 4 months. 
But if it is placed in a refrigerator or cellar, where a constant temperature is maintained within 3-5 ° C, then the shelf life is extended to one year.
Important! It is best to close the jars with special vacuum caps, which will significantly prolong the shelf life of the jam.
The quality of can closure also affects the shelf life. A badly clogged delicacy can be spoiled a week after preparation. Therefore, carefully sterilize and seal the jars.
What have
Strawberry-based jam goes well with cottage cheese and dairy products. Children love to spread it on bread and use it in the form of sandwiches with tea or cocoa. You can bake pancakes or pancakes and spread them with strawberry delicacy. 
Jam can also be added as one of the ingredients in various desserts - for example, decorate holiday cakes with them.
It will also be useful for you to learn how to cook: strawberry fruit candy, strawberry jam, and also get acquainted with the recipes of strawberry harvesting for the winter.
Now you know how to make delicious and fragrant strawberry jam. Cook, experiment and delight your family with a healthy and tasty dessert. Enjoy your meal!
