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Recipe for strawberry jam with a splash of Grand Marnier

18/11/2012

28 Comments

 
Recipe for strawberry jam with a splash of Grand Marnier
Edible Gifts: Strawberry Jam with a Splash of Grand Marnier
'Please take some, the cows are sick of eating 'em,' the stall holder said to me with a laugh, as he offered a kilogram of strawberries for just $5.00. 'Are you sure? I'm happy to pay full price,' I insisted, knowing that the good man had travelled some distance to sell his produce. He waved me away and handed over my prize, saying 'I'm sure, because you'll taste 'em, know how good they are and come back for more next week!'. With such a bargain and his genuine smile, how could I resist?!
Peter has been away with work, and I've been off colour over the last several days, so there hasn't been much cooking taking place in my kitchen. Given that the strawberries from the farmer's market were quite ripe, I combined them with a punnet of almost ripe fruit picked from my own patch, and took the opportunity to engage in some therapeutic Sunday afternoon preserving. 

The Country Women's Association (CWA) cookbooks are always a good guide when it comes to quantities of fruit to sugar when preserving. But I do tend to add less sugar than stipulated, simply because I prefer my jam to be not overly sweet. 

My twitter friend, citrus grower and fellow cooking enthusiast, Len Mancini, @REDBELLY_ORANGE, says that his strawberry jam is either too runny (he then calls it a sauce) or sets too hard. 'It rarely hits that middle sweet spot, Lizzy,' he explained. Like Len, I always try to have some pectin at hand in case the fruit is too ripe and, therefore, the jam won't set. I also like Len's idea of adding runny jam to natural yohgurt to sweeten and flavour it. 

'There are two kinds of jam,' according to English writer Nigel Slater, in Ripe: a cook in the orchard. '[There's] the sort you use to preserve a glut of berries to last you through the grey days of winter and the sort for more immediate consumption.' Mr Slater loves 'pots and pots' of jam 'for breakfast toast and afternoon tea, ladled from jars using spoons with sticky handles, spread onto floury scones, and sandwiched between slices of homemade sponge cake, their surfaces sparkling with superfine sugar.' He writes so deliciously, don't you agree?! Slater also prefers jam that is high on fruit content and low on sugar (viz 750g strawberries to a mere 1/2 cup caster sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice), so he would most likely find my receipt 'tongue numbingly sweet' (as he describes it), although he might enjoy my addition of Grand Marnier? Next time I pick strawberries, I shall try his version.

STRAWBERRY JAM WITH A SPLASH OF GRAND MARNIER
1kg strawberries, washed and hulled+
800g sugar
Juice of two lemons**
4 tablespoons Grand Marnier
pectin, if you have it

First, sterilise some clean jars either by placing them onto a tray in the oven, heat the oven to 130 degrees C and leave them in the oven for half an hour. Or, by boiling them in water for about 15 minutes (make sure they are dry before you fill them).

Slice any larger strawberries in half. Heat the sugar either in a Pyrex jug or bowl in the oven or microwave. Place the strawberries into a deep stainless steel pot. Add the sugar to the strawberries, then add the Grand Marnier and stir with a metal spoon. Bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then, add the lemon juice and cook for a further 5-10 minutes. *Pour into sterilised jars and seal when cold. Makes about 8 cups.

+Strawberries that are under ripe are best in this recipe, as they contain more pectin, which means your jam is more likely to set.
* I don't have a jam funnel (note to self, MUST buy one!), so I carefully pour the hot jam into a large Pyrex jug and I use an old enamel cup to pour the jam into the jars. Click through the images below and you'll see. Snap! Now have a jam funnel!
** As I didn't have any pectin handy, I threw the two squeezed lemon halves into the pot to cook with the jam.
Home grown strawberries
Over ripe berries don't contain as much pectin as under ripe fruit

The process in pictures...

Recipe for strawberry jam with a splash of Grand Marnier 2
The colour of this batch is superb
Recipe for strawberry jam with a splash of Grand Marnier 3
The leaves and berries, with their red and green, are quite festive!
Recipe for strawberry jam with a splash of Grand Marnier 4
Season's eatings!
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I've met some people lately who say they really hate cooking. Do you love it or loathe it? And do you find cooking to be therapeutic? And what about those strawberry eating cows!?
28 Comments
InTolerant Chef link
18/11/2012 08:01:18 am

Lucky cows! My dad used to feed his cows whole mangoes fresh from the tree, the pits would come out nice and clean through the back end!
I don't like runny jam either, or jam that's sickly sweet. I tend to make heaps of preserves then give them away.

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2012 08:16:22 pm

Lordy, LOL! I think there's something to be treasured about making jams and then giving them away. I also like to barter with mine, Bec.

Reply
Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy link
18/11/2012 08:13:56 am

Great idea to add the Grand Marnier. Your jam looks lovely. Jam can be tricky but once you get the hang of it it really is the most fabulous way to preserve the season in a jar :-)
I find cooking therapeutic, it is my sanity. If I am having a bad day I head straight to the kitchen.

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2012 08:17:33 pm

I agree, Kyrstie, and you have said it so nicely. I find cooking therapeutic too, I could happily spend much of the day pottering in the kitchen. ; D

Reply
e / dig in hobart link
18/11/2012 03:52:33 pm

lucky cows! LOL. that jam looks amazing - a beautiful colour. gosh, i can smell it from here. sticky sweet :-)
sometimes i cook just to feed myself, and it's nothing special, but even then i would never say i hate it. vacuum cleaning, mowing the lawn, updating computer virus proetction - hate; cooking - never!

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2012 08:18:53 pm

Hello there, thanks for your kind words. The colour is amazing, isn't it. Because you only cook it for a short time, the fruit retains that lovely glow. We are getting a little club of passionate cooks going here, judging by the comments so far. ; )

Reply
Jane @ Shady Baker link
18/11/2012 07:53:29 pm

Hello Lizzy. As soon as I saw your tweet about this I thought what a lovely Christmas gift this would make! Beautiful colour and clarity in your photos as always and I agree, very festive. Your Sunday afternoon preserving sounds very therapeutic.

I honestly cannot understand people who hate cooking, it astounds me!?

Reply
Lizzy
18/11/2012 08:20:23 pm

You're right, Jane, this would make lovely Christmas gifts. I think I will definitely visit the farmer again and make more. I guess people who sew can't understand those like me who really don't enjoy it. ; D

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Maureen link
19/11/2012 11:19:58 am

I love making jam but more than that I love eating homemade jam. It's always just the way I like it. Full of fruit not too sweet and always yummy. I'll bet the recipients of your jam gifts will be over the moon.

Reply
Lizzy
20/11/2012 06:20:59 am

Thanks Maureen, I'm definitely making some more!

Reply
Anna Brownrigg link
19/11/2012 11:53:04 am

I love Nigel Slater and "Ripe" is next on my list as I just love "Tender". I prefer my jam less sweet too and I love the splash of Grand Marnier in there :)

Reply
Lizzy
20/11/2012 06:21:36 am

Anna, Ripe is a beautiful book, some really good recipes in it!

Reply
A Canadian Foodie link
19/11/2012 01:49:39 pm

Stunning collage!!!! The opposite season here, so tough to get into preserving when I have just finished it all.... however, those berries look divine!
:)
V

Reply
Lizzy
20/11/2012 06:22:03 am

Thank you ma'am! Very kind xox

Reply
Laura (Tutti Dolci) link
19/11/2012 04:59:31 pm

Strawberry jam is my favorite, I love the Grand Marnier!

Reply
Lizzy
20/11/2012 06:22:27 am

It's summer in a jar, really, isn't it ; D

Reply
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
19/11/2012 06:53:57 pm

I love a nice runny jam with lots of chunks of fruit in it. Pipless, similarly bodied jam holds no interest for me. But this one would!

Reply
Lizzy
20/11/2012 06:23:04 am

Thanks Lorraine, glad we are on the same page in the jam hymn book!

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Celia link
20/11/2012 06:10:29 am

You're all set for Christmas giving, Lizzy! The jam looks gorgeous - we always use our homemade pectin to set strawberry jam, and it works a treat. Berry jams tend to be runny otherwise - we've never had much luck with just lemon juice, so I'm really impressed by yours! :)

Reply
Lizzy
20/11/2012 06:20:28 am

Celia, you MUST tell me more about this homemade pectin please.

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Jennifer @ Delicieux link
20/11/2012 12:57:39 pm

Oh Lizzy, this jam sounds divine! I really need to make a batch of homemade jam. I certainly would if I could get my hands on 1 kilo of strawberries for $5. What a bargain!!

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Rhubarb Whine link
20/11/2012 03:33:39 pm

I love to make jams and preserves. And now I want some. On a scone. With cream. Yum!

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Amanda link
25/11/2012 09:39:16 am

Lizzy, your jam looks absolutely glorious - such a wonderful colour. Great use of a seasonal bargain! I've discovered a wonderful cheat with jam-making - it's called jam sugar. It is just ordinary CSR sugar with a dash of pectin. buy it in my local supermarket and it works every time!

Reply
El link
30/11/2012 01:41:06 pm

Free strawberries- fabulous! The jam looks incredible.

Reply
Mrs_Mulberry link
30/11/2012 02:08:42 pm

Oh Lizzy, that jam looks divine! We have a strawberry glut at the moment and GM is one of Mr k's favourites - what a perfect combo! I am definitely going to give this recipe a try!!! How I have missed your posts on my little artistic sojourn!

Reply
Krista Bjorn link
12/2/2014 10:16:05 am

What a lovely man! Your jam is GORGEOUS. :-)

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Maureen | Orgasmic Chef link
22/12/2015 03:26:30 pm

Homemade strawberry jam is what getting up in the morning is all about. I love your recipe. I don't like jam that's too tart, probably why I look like a giant apple. :)

Reply
Gourmet Getaways link
15/1/2016 01:11:45 am

Oh you are so lucky! I would have loved to get a kilo of strawberries for $5.
I remember making a jam once with grand marnier and it was amazing. I will be Yumming.
Thanks for sharing
julie
Gourmet Getaways

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Good Things is written and published by Liz Posmyk © 2011-2020.   All rights reserved.
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