This elegant, dessert-like preserve is full of red berry sweetness and decadent creaminess. Whole, plump strawberries and a sprinkle of raspberries are blended with balanced notes of vanilla for a transparent, creamy linger. For our most beloved flavour, the trick is using flavourful, fresh berries and choosing a sweetly scented vanilla that appeals to your personal palate.
From whole Madagascar bean to high-quality flavouring, there are many types of vanilla to choose from, and each has its own unique profile. Though it may seem like culinary sacrilege, we opt for a naturally derived vanilla flavouring in our kitchen for this recipe to achieve that rich, vanilla-cake-like nuance. Vanilla, birthday cake, and whipped cream flavoured vodkas also make great choices and are readily accessible.
— Kitten and the Bear Cookbook. Recipes for Small Batch Preserves, Scones, and Sweets from the Beloved Shop, Sophie Kaftal, Bobby Zielinkski, Penguin Canada
Yields: Six 250 mL (8-ounce) jars
Strawberry, Raspberry, and Cream Jam
Ingredients
- 1.25 kg hulled strawberries
- 250 g raspberries
- 1 kg (5 cups) granulated sugar
- 125 mL (½ cup) lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon natural vanilla flavouring
Instructions
- Macerate the fruit: Combine the straw- berries, raspberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large non-reactive container, and toss gently to evenly coat. Cover with a lid and macerate in the fridge overnight for at least 12 hours but no more than 24.
- The next day, make the jam: Sterilize your jars and lids
- Remove the macerated fruit from the fridge. Scrape the fruit mixture and all the juices into your preserving pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until the juices run from the berries and the sugar is dissolved. Once it boils, the mix- ture will begin to foam. Adjust the heat as needed to keep it as hot as possible without allowing the mixture to overflow or sputter. Continue to cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to distribute the heat evenly and melt the foam back down into the mixture, about 5 minutes.
- Once the foam subsides, boil over high heat (adjust the heat if the jam sputters) for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. As the jam cooks, gradually reduce the heat to medium-low if needed to prevent scorch- ing, and stir constantly until it becomes thicker, slightly syrupy, and the bubbles are smaller and evenly distributed across the surface. Remove from the heat and skim any foam from the surface.
- Gently stir to evenly distribute the fruit within the syrup, and then test for doneness. The jam should pass the wrinkle test or sheet test and reach at least 200°F (100°C) on a candy thermometer (see page 21). If the jam still seems too loose, boil for another 3 to 5 minutes and check the set again. Once set, remove from the heat. Immediately add the vanilla and stir vigorously to incorporate.
- Pour the jam into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace, and process by following the instructions on page 23. Arrange the hot jars about 1 inch apart in a cool place, and let sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours.
Variations:
- You can substitute the vanilla flavouring with 60 mL (¼ cup) of vanilla, birthday cake, or whipped cream flavoured vodka. Add the vodka toward the end of cooking when the jam is 3 to 5 minutes from being set. Stir vigorously to allow any alcohol to burn off. (Make sure your head is not over the pot, as the alcohol vapour has a very strong smell.)
Notes
Excerpted from Kitten and the Bear, Inc. Copyright © 2024 Kitten and the Bear, Inc. Photography by Johanna Martin. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
