I still remember those Saturday summer mornings, when I would wake up with the sweet smell of boiled strawberries engulfing my room. I still vividly remember those large, big, white pots, on the stove, with the bright red strawberries bubbling almost aggressively inside. The kitchen itself was an oven, that’s how hot it was. My mom was supervising the pots, constantly picking the foam on top. On the kitchen table, an army of jars was waiting their turn to be filled. The jam was plentiful, as it had to last for the entire winter.
Years passed and my mom stopped making jam. Me and my sister stopped eating it and it would just go to waste. But strawberry jam bought from the shop it’s just not the same! So, this year, remembering those evening treats, where the daily glass of milk was accompanied by a slice of bread topped with butter and strawberry jam, I decided to make some for myself.
This is the easiest Romanian strawberry jam recipe that you will ever find. It only requires three ingredients and it takes 20 minutes to make. No more hours spent in front of the scorching hot cooker (unless you too decide to make jam for the entire winter).
The Ingredients for the Romanian Strawberry Jam Recipe
To make about three jars of this delightful jam, you will only need three ingredients: strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. From one kilogram of strawberries, you will end up with approximately 3 jars of jam. The weight of the strawberries is measured after they have been cleaned, not before.
Also, keep in mind that the more strawberries you use to make jam, the longer you will need to boil them to set.
How to Make the Romanian Strawberry Jam
Start by washing the strawberries thoroughly and removing the green tops. After cleaning, weigh the strawberries to adjust the sugar quantity if necessary. Add the sugar over the strawberries in a large bowl and let them macerate for about 5 to 6 hours, or even better, overnight. Cover the bowl with a cloth to keep fruit flies away. Once the strawberries are floating in their own juice and the sugar has dissolved, they are ready for the next step.
Add the lemon juice over the strawberries and mix well. Transfer the strawberries and their juice to a large pot, ensuring it’s large enough to handle the liquid that will rise during cooking. Turn the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. As the jam cooks, skim off any foam that forms on the surface – this removes impurities from the sugar.
Boil the mixture for about 20 minutes. You’ll know the jam is ready when the strawberries turn a deep, beautiful red. To test, pour a tablespoon of jam onto a small plate. If you can run your finger through it and leave a clean mark, it’s ready. Turn off the heat and let the jam rest for 10 minutes.
While the jam is resting, sterilize the jars. Wash the jars and lids thoroughly with soap and water, rinse well, and place them on a metal tray in the oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes to dry. Carefully remove the hot jars from the oven.
Pour the hot jam into the sterilized jars, filling them to the top line. To prevent the jars from cracking, place them on a metal surface like a tray or use stainless steel knives. Seal the jars tightly with the lids and place them upside down to cool slowly. Once completely cooled, store the jars in your pantry.
Notes and Tips:
- Some people prefer to add more sugar, but I think 300 grams per kilo of fruit is enough, especially if the strawberries are very sweet. Feel free to adjust the sugar quantity based on the sweetness of your strawberries and personal preference.
- Don’t skip sterilising the jars. This is an important step that prevents bacteria from forming inside the jars and spoiling the jam.
- Make sure you use a very large pot to make the jam. The jam will rise very high in the pot whilst boiling.
- Use a brand-new wooden spoon. Or one that you don’t use for mixing into stews and stir-fries.
- If you have very big strawberries, you can cut them into smaller pieces. Mine were gigantic so I cut them in four.
- Skimming off the foam that forms during boiling is important for a clear, impurity-free jam.
- To prevent jars from cracking, always pour hot jam into jars placed on a metal surface.
- Allowing the jars to cool upside down helps to create a vacuum seal, ensuring your jam stays fresh for longer.
Romanian Strawberry Jam
Ingredients
- 1 kg strawberries
- 300 gr sugar
- juice from half a lemon
Instructions
- Wash the strawberries very well, and remove the green top stems.
- Weight the cleaned strawberries and adjust the sugar quantity accordingly.
- Add the sugar over the strawberries and let them macerate for a good 5 to 6 hours. Or even better, overnight.
- Make sure to cover the pot with a cloth, to avoid fruit flies.
- Once the strawberries are floating in their own juice and the sugar dissolves, they are ready.
- Add the lemon juice over the strawberries, and mix well.
- Put the strawberries in a large pot, three times their volume. This is because the liquid will rise a lot.
- Turn the heat on medium, and start boiling the strawberries, mixing from time to time with a wooden spoon.
- Make sure the clean all the foam that forms at the surface – this is all the impurities from the sugar.
- From start to finish, you will need to boil the pot for around 20 minutes. You will know when it’s ready because the colour of the strawberries will turn a beautiful, deep red.
- To test if the jam is ready, pour a tablespoon on a small plate. If you can run your finger through it and leave a clean mark, it’s ready.
- Turn the heat off and let the jam rest for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sterilise the jars.
- Wash the jars and their lids very well, with soap and water. Rinse well to remove all the dish soap.
- Put the clean jars and lids in the oven on a metal tray and turn the heat on to 150 degrees Celsius.
- Let them dry in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Take them out carefully, as they will be hot.
- To prevent cracking, make sure the jars are on a metal surface, such as the tray or stainless steel knives.
- Pour the jam in each jar up to the top line, and close the lid.
- Place the jars upside down and leave them to cool down slowly.
- Once they are cold, place them in your pantry for winter.
FAQ:
How long does the jam last?
If properly sealed and stored in a cool, dark place, your strawberry jam can last up to a year. Once opened, refrigerate and consume within a few weeks.
Can I reduce the amount of sugar?
Yes, but keep in mind that sugar acts as a preservative. Reducing it might affect the jam’s shelf life.
What if my jam doesn’t set?
If your jam is too runny, you can return it to the pot and boil it a bit longer. If you are doing a large quantity of jam, you will need to boil it for longer, as it won’t set in 20 minutes.
For more similar Romanian jam recipes, check out my recommendations below:
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