Strawberry season is about to end here in Queensland so I was really happy when I managed to get a bunch of seconds a few weeks ago. Having loved strawberries since I was a little girl, makes this plastic free lifestyle a little harder because as you can imagine, it’s hard to find plastic free option around here. In Australia, only recently I started seeing farmers accept to have their containers reused and I’ve never seen other plastic-free options around.
When I found a huge box of strawberries for only $10 I had to buy it. But I ended up with a ‘problem’…a huge box of strawberries! The biggest issue is the fact that seconds are usually a little riper and bruised and prone to spoiling a lot faster than its ‘premium’ alternative.
To make sure I would make good use of it, I got a processing line in my kitchen. First, Jean and I went through all of them removing the stems and getting rid of any of them that were too bruised, rotten or otherwise inedible. I composted those.
Then, I washed them thoroughly and spread them to dry over a kitchen cloth. This is important: let it dry completely. If they are wet, mould will grow a LOT faster and they’ll get mushy too.
We ended up with a considerable amount of strawberries still, so most of it went to the freezer. We used our several take-away containers to store our strawberries and they’ll be used in smoothies and other desserts if we want it, but definitely, mostly smoothies (hello Summer!).
With the cream of the crop, we store them for eating throughout the week. By the end of the week, we didn’t manage to eat it all and since we had a lot of frozen ones already, I decided to make some strawberry jam.
How to Make Strawberry Jam
Jam making is one of the earliest memories I have from my childhood and I remember loving every bit of it. My mom used to make her specialty: banana jam! And I would sit in the couch having a few spoonfuls and being so happy. I mean, look at that:
I mean…look at those cheeks!
Anyhoo, making your own jam is really a super easy process and you can make yours while you sitting back or having your dinner, like I did.
Surprisingly, this jam is a lot easier to make than others like my mom used to make. This recipe is simple because it doesn’t require constant stirring, making it the perfect jam for lazy people, like myself.
So let’s get it started:
- 200gr strawberries (washed and stem removed)'
- 4 tbsp muscovado sugar
- ½ cup of water
- Place strawberries in a saucepan and add sugar and water.
- Turn the heat on medium and let it come to a simmer.
- Bring the heat down to low and cook until all water is evaporated and strawberries are soft and broken down.
- If the strawberries are still too hard or chunky, add a little bit more water until ready.
- Remove from the heat and transfer to a sealed jar.
- Let it cool and store in the fridge.
- Lasts for a couple of months.
And as simple as that, you have homemade jam. Spread it thick on your toast, add to your oats or smoothie bowls or eat by the spoonful like I used to.
Enjoy it!
Peace & Love,
Larissa
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