Blog Post: My Sweet Second Shot of…… Preserving – Strawberry Jam and Sundae in a Jar

Date: Week 3

After surviving my first sweet and sticky venture into the world of jam-making, I felt ready to take on a new challenge—or, rather, a delicious challenge. This time, I decided to whip up some classic strawberry jam and, for a bit of indulgence, a sundae in a jar featuring none other than chocolate liqueur. Fun times were had!!

Of course, jam-making is never without its quirks and surprises. This round had its own set of lessons, new terms to figure out (liquid pectin, foam, and wondering if this set correctly), plus a whole lot of sweet goodness to fill my pantry.

New Terms:

Liquid Pectin: Unlike the powdered pectin I used last time, liquid pectin is a faster, easier alternative. You add it toward the end of cooking, and voilà! It thickens up the jam without all the stress of boiling, stirring, boiling more and praying for the right consistency. As I learned last week (check out my week 2 blog here) when I listened to the Perfectly Preserved Podcast: The Power of Pectin in Canning, it is important to add liquid pectin into the jam after the berries, sugar and acid are mixed and coming to a hard boil, unlike powder pectin, which you add at the beginning with something acidic (like lemon juice) before you start boiling the sugar and fruit.

Perfectly Preserved Episode 6 Pectin

Foam: As the jam boils, this frothy stuff likes to gather on the surface, mocking you with its weird, bubbly texture. This foam isn’t going to poison you, but it can leave a funky, cloudy finish to your jam. Skimming it off once it is done cooking will give your jars that Instagram-ready look when the jam has been set. I didn’t experience any foaming with my previous jams, so when I saw this happen at the end of cooking the strawberry jam, I thought I had ruined the batch. I rushed onto YouTube but couldn’t really find any videos that explained this phenomenon. If you would like to take a look, I found a short video on what I was experiencing. With the need to know what was going on, I did a quick Google search and quickly learned that strawberries have air in them, and the foam is a result of the boiling process releasing the air and forming bubbles or foam. For a further explanation of this, check out SBCanning.com. This site also lists a bunch of relevant information for canning and preserving you may want to read.

After last week’s berry mess, I was armed with determination and a new apron, so I dove into my second preserving adventure.

Strawberry Jam: Sweet and Simple (With a Smack of Vinegar) Recipe

I started with strawberry jam, a classic everyone loves. The first step? Cut up a boatload of strawberries and mash them until they become a bright red pile of mush. Next, I added sugar, lemon juice and balsamic vinegar for an extra kick and prepared for the boiling bubble storm ahead. Before it got really rolling, I made sure to add in the liquid pectin and stirred it up really good.  Of course, the foam was determined to make an appearance, so I had to skim off the bubbly mess with my trusty spoon. After a bit of scooping, I had a glossy, smooth strawberry jam that looked like something straight out of a food magazine. Not bad for a second time, if I say so myself. My daughter even had her kick at licking out the foam from the bowl. At least it tastes good!!

Close Call in the Kitchen: My Almost-Jam-tastrophe! 

 After a good old taste-testing party, the sauce was jarred and processed, and my little glass babies were ready to be left for at least 12 hours to set up.  When I first placed them in their resting place, I was a little concerned because the consistency was not the same as the other jams I had previously made. This looked soupy in comparison. I shrugged it off and let them rest. When I checked them the next day, the jam had slightly thickened, but it was still somewhat runny. I knew I should have done the sheet test! Not completely discouraged, I let them sit longer and looked again later. No change. Now panicking, I quickly looked up a YouTube video to find out that it’s no big deal; pour the jar out into a pot and do the hard boil process again before refrigerating! The jars had all been processed and sealed so I could leave them be; what a relief!

Sundae in a Jar: Sweetness with a Boozy Twist. Recipe

Now for my favourite, sundae in a jar—this one was a bit more adventurous. I found the idea in the Bernardin Home Preserving book, which is linked in my first blog. Imagine intense sweet strawberry flavours, a tangy raspberry compote, and a splash (or two) of chocolate liqueur, all sealed up in a jar. Plus, I didn’t need to worry about adding pectin or any prolonged hard boiling because it was a sauce and didn’t need to thicken up. This was dessert heaven with a side of booze and tasted oddly like the red banana split sauce at Dairy Queen.

After reading through some of the tip sections in my handy dandy canning book, I soon learned that to prevent the foaming process, one can add a bit of butter to the mixture before bringing everything to a boil, and it worked. At the end of the process -which was like the strawberry jam minus the pectin, I poured the chocolate liqueur, which added a whole new depth of flavour and punch to the mix. I may have taste-tested a bit more than necessary, but that’s just quality control, right?

Important Lessons from Online Canning Class

In between jam-making and sundae funday, I squeezed in an online canning class, and wow—what an eye-opener. I watched a fantastic video called the Basics of Home Canning, and learned while also reviewing some key lessons that have helped me up my canning game:

Temperature Control: Maintaining the right temperature during the water bath is crucial for safety and a proper seal. Too low, and your jars might not seal. Too high, and, well, say goodbye to the contents inside. I also learned that with the canner, I had the lid needed to stay on, or it would not stay at a full boil. I’m not sure if I had the lid on wrong, my stovetop didn’t get hot enough, or if it is a safety precaution in the oven to prevent the glass surface from getting too hot and breaking on the stovetop.

Jar Sterilization: This is non-negotiable. Sterilizing jars isn’t just a good idea; it’s absolutely essential to avoid any funky bacteria spoiling your hard work.

Headspace Matters: I learned that leaving the right amount of space at the top of the jar (a.k.a. headspace) ensures the proper seal and prevents your jam from bursting out or going bad too soon.

After watching this, I felt so much more confident about my process. It’s definitely worth watching!

Conclusion: The Sweet Learnings So Far

My second round of preserving taught me a ton—not just about making jam but about how much there is to learn in this craft. The strawberry jam turned out perfect, thanks to the magic of extra time, patience, and the fridge! The sundae jars were everything I hoped for (plus a little kick from the chocolate liqueur).

With each batch, I’m feeling more comfortable and way less intimidated by the process. Sure, there are always little hiccups along the way (I’m looking at you, strawberry jam), but that’s all part of the fun. So far, I’ve made more jam than I know what to do with, but I’m loving the journey—and hey, my pantry’s looking a lot more delicious these days!

Stay tuned for the next time, in which I will probably attempt something even more daring. I’m thinking, “Pickles, Anyone?” Either way, I’m ready for more sweet and possibly savoury adventures!

Feel free to leave a comment, and if you end up trying out one of these delicious recipes let me know how it turns out for you! Happy Canning <3

Resources:

Recipes courteousy of The Bernardin Home Preserving book.