The strawberry patch is going crazy! There are so many strawberries growing and an endless amount of big red juicy ones, if I’m being honest I’m getting a tad fed up with eating strawberries. So I came to conclusion that it was about time to dig out the jam making equipment and get making some preserves. I managed to collect a whopping 5.5 lbs of strawberries from both my raised beds, that would be more then enough for the two types of jams that I wanted to make; plain old strawberry jam and a new recipe; strawberry AND elderflower jam (two of my favourite things combined!)
Now I’ve made jam a few times and along the way I have collected some equipment like a large enamel jam pan, a thermometer, various funnels and lots of jam jars. The only problem I have is getting the right setting point, I’ve found that if I don’t rush and take my time to do the wrinkle test at different times during the making process then I can’t miss it!
I managed to make 3 large jars of plain strawberry jam as well as 2 small jars of the strawberry and elderflower jam. I just love strawberries and I love elderflower so I knew the recipe wouldn’t disappoint, unless I mucked it up of course. But I was very careful and stopped the process at the right setting point so the jam turned out perfect, and it tasted delicious too! I think what makes it extra special is the fact that I used homegrown strawberries freshly picked from my allotment and elderflower cordial which I had previously made from foraged elderflower. I will definitely be making some more of this jam once more strawberries turn red in my little patch, that’s for sure 🙂
Here’s the recipe for my strawberry and elderflower jam, you can simply double the ingredients if you want more jam (which I recommend as it’s so tasty!)
Recipe:
- 500g of strawberries (hulled and chopped)
- 1/2 of a granny smith apple (peeled and chopped)
- 400g of granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons of elderflower cordial
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Prep and cooking time; 45 minutes.
Put the strawberries and apple in a saucepan or jam pan, add the sugar and stir it up. Heat the pan on low until the fruits start to get juicy and the sugar becomes wet. Add the elderflower cordial. Now turn up the heat to medium until it becomes a rolling boil, do not stir from this point on. Set the timer for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat after 15 minutes and test a teaspoon on a cold saucer for the wrinkle test (Let the jam cool and then move your finger through the centre of the jam, if it wrinkles and leaves a track then the jam has set and it is ready) Let the jam cool down and then stir in the lemon juice. Transfer to a jam jar and allow to cool in a dark place. Once opened keep refrigerated.
4 thoughts on “Strawberry and Elderflower Jam”
We’re picking 20-30 strawberries every couple of days from our allotment but my children are gobbling them up before we even leave the plot! I’m hoping that at some point we will have more or they will get fed up of eating them, as I’d love to try making some jam. Your strawberry and elderflower recipe sounds delicious.
Haha, well I guess it’s great they are eating they’re fruit! All my strawberries are gone now, it seems the season went far too quickly 🙁
Hi, just found you from Garlic and Sapphire 🙂
Love your jam recipe. I don’t have the space in my garden veg plot for strawberries (and the chooks would get to them somehow anyway, sneaky birds that they are!) but while I still have some elderflower cordial left (it doesn’t last long even though I make a good gallon or so!) I must go strawberry picking and make some.
Love the blog 🙂
Oh I would love to have chickens but the allotment rules won’t let us. You could always go vertical with growing them? Thats the best thing about this time of year, you can always find punnets of english strawberries for as little as £1.00 to make jam with. I’m tempted to buy some to make more jam with because at the rate I’m eating the jam now there won’t be any left for winter use!
Thank you 🙂