Jammin' with the stars

I've been picking 2-3 pints per day out of my little strawberry patch (got 5 pints on Wednesday after not picking the day before, brought those to the East Granby Farmer's market).  The berries are winding down now but I still have some in the fridge.

I didn't want to bring berries picked Monday to a Wednesday market (even though they had been refrigerated, they weren't glossy any more), so I made jam (using the weekend's berries that we didn't finish on Father's Day) and brought that.  Since no one has been stopping by even with a sign up on Rte 179 (we're a bit off the beaten path), I've been making jam every other day (more like every day since it's a 2-day process).

I use a method called the "French plunge" (sounds like a high-fashion neckline?  Or maybe a backless dress?).  I don't know if she invented it, but Christine Ferber uses it very successfully in her artisan jams - so successfully that Brad Pitt recently flew to France to learn some of her secrets.

Here's the method - no passport required:

Day 1:  Wash about 5 pints of ripe strawberries and let drain in a colander.  Take the stems and caps (and the little hard green piece under it) off.

Leave small berries whole, cut larger ones in half or quarters.  You're aiming for a consistent size but want these in large chunks for preserves.

Weigh out 2.5 lbs of berries and layer them with 4 cups of pure cane sugar in a large Dutch oven, preferably stainless steel or enamel, since aluminum can pit and cause your food to taste metallic.

Add 4 Tbsp of lemon juice (I've been using some organic lemons I had in the fridge but next batch might use the stuff from a bottle - I like the stuff in the yellow bottle).

Fold gently to coat all the berries, cover, and let rest for 12 hours or longer.

The next day (or that night, whatever you schedule is), stir the berries again and heat on medium heat stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar.  Without raising the heat, boil for 3-5 minutes while stirring.

Remove from the heat, cover with a dish towel (not a lid, that will just cause condensation and you'll have more water to boil off later) and let rest again for 12 or more hours.

Put a stoneware or glass saucer in the freezer.

Day 2:  Start your boiling water bath heating, put 5 or 6 (I always end up with 5 jars of fruit and 1 of syrup) half pint jars in it to sterilize.

While that gets started boiling, uncover the strawberries, get another pan or large bowl and a sieve or colander.  Set the colander in the bowl and using a skimmer or a slotted spoon, transfer the berries into the colander and let them drip into the bowl below.  You could pour them in but you really don't want to be cleaning up the splatters.

Start heating the syrup left in the pan on medium heat (low if you've had them in the fridge) and when the dripping slows down add the syrup from the bowl.  This is going to be like juice (even with all the sugar) but watch it and stir constantly so that it doesn't burn.  When it starts to bubble up, stir even more - if it starts to foam and gets close to the top of the pan, lower the heat or quickly lift the pan off the heat until it subsides - this will pit a glass-top stove if it boils over (ask me how I know).

Throw in 5 mint leaves (rinsed clean of course) if you have them.  Ms. Ferber minces her mint but I don't like the green specks in the jam.  And since I'm selling this, I'm afraid people might think I left part of the strawberry cap in!

Boil the syrup until the bubbles break slowly and the last few drops hang on the spoon.  Take the pan off the heat and test the set on the frozen saucer.  You want to give it a few seconds, if it doesn't run you're OK.  If it runs when you tilt the plate, put the pan back on the heat for another minute or 2.  If it immediately forms a mound, well, you've just made taffy (you might get lucky and have enough juice left in the strawberries or the drip bowl to thin it out).

Start your jar lids (just the flat parts, not the rings) soaking in hot but not boiling water to soften the sealing compound.

Add the strawberries (and any juice left in the bowl) to the pan, stir to distribute, and put it back on the burner on medium heat.  Here's where she adds her mint and 5 ground black peppercorns but I don't use the pepper in this either.  You want to bring the berries to a boil long enough to heat them through (about 5 minutes), but you don't want to affect the set of the syrup (or jelly part).  If your berries are cold, start on low.  Do not go over Medium High heat or the syrup will set harder and the berries could caramelize (which is a fancy name for "burn").

Once the strawberries are heated through remove the pan from the heat and let cool 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute the fruit. A longer cooling time should minimize floating fruit but I’ve made this recipe 3 times this week and I think that chunks are just going to float no matter what, so after 5 minutes I start filling jars, stirring the fruit in each jar and skimming the foam from the top of the jar before wiping with a wet paper towel, putting the id and ring on, and sticking it in the warm canner (you did turn the heat off after the jars had boiled 10 minutes, didn’t you?).  Some people skim the entire pan but I find that hard to do with the berries in there – it’s easier with jelly.

After all the jars are filled and in the canner (the water should come an inch or 2 over the tops) turn the burner to High.  Start timing when it starts to boil, boil for 5 minutes (10 if you haven’t sterilized the jars).  If you’re over 1000ft elevation add another 5 minutes (we’re just under here, and I think most of Granby is lower).

Once the timer goes off, turn off the heat and remove the cover but leave the jars in the canner another 5 minutes.  This will help make a stronger seal.  After 5 minutes lift the jars out carefully and set on a wooden cutting board or better a sturdy wire rack to cool for 24 hours.  You should hear each jar “ping” as it seals.  If one doesn’t seal just stick it in the fridge.

There, now that I’ve given away my secrets I guess Brad won’t bother to visit me, but I hope you’ll come visit me at the East Granby Farmer’s Market next Wednesday (July 3rd) and buy some preserves, or strawberries, or just say hi!