I know what you are thinking.
And yes, I’m still and forever will be in the midst of my never-ending love affair with the strawberry. She is a mistress that just won’t let go.
So when I picked up a few pints of them at the market, jam inspiration took over. For a long time, I avoided making jam. It always seemed like such a laborious process, the long cooking, the canning and of course, I’d “have” to have pectin on hand to thicken it to a jammy consistency. But who really has pectin “on hand”. If you do, you might be a freak or Martha Stewart….who is also a freak.
What I came to realize is that it doesn’t take long to cook unless you are making a couple gallons (which I wasn’t). And you don’t have to can it unless you plan to store it for months at a time (I’d rather enjoy it immediately). And you don’t need pectin. Some stockholder at the Pectin company, no doubt, has been spreading this filthy lie for decades.
So if you have fruit and sugar, jam is only moments away…
Strawberry Cardamom Jam Recipe
(makes 1 1/2 pints)
3 pints strawberries, stemmed
5 cardamom pods, left whole
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c filtered water
Combine all ingredients in a deep heavy pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid becomes a thick syrup, about 20m. Let cool. Remove cardamom pods and store in a glass mason jar or other resealable container in the fridge.
For more pics showing what the jam-making process looks like, check out the Facebook page.
Yep, I dont add pectin to my jam either! It is a filthy lie. 🙂 Love the addition of cardamom!
@The Cilantropist – Thanks! I imagine adding any whole spice like clove, cinnamon or ginger, or a good grating of nutmeg, would be a great accent to the strawberries without overpowering them.
Muchas Gracias! I've been looking for no pectin jam recipes. I make jams without pectin, but always thought that my attempts were half-assed. Thanks for clearing my conscience.
Hey Anonymous! – My pleasure, you never need to feel guilty about making jam, pectin or not!