Strawberry Sangria Jam

I could introduce this with an anecdote about how fun it is to make jam, or throw in a reference to the episode of Friends where Joey eats jam by the spoonful (still awesome after all these years), or how Rachel's trifle with a layer of ladyfingers and a layer of jam topped with beef sautéed with peas and onions is a forever classic, or even how I feel like I'm channeling my inner Laura Ingalls Wilder when I make jam, but all the thoughts are so random that I won't even try.  I'll just say jam good, strawberries good, wine good, what's not to like? (Jam good, beef good...get it? Ha!)

Now, you don't really have to make jam when strawberries are on sale.  Throwing strawberries and whipped cream on top of pound cake is always a classic summer flavor. 

But when you get a bit greedy, there's not a chance that you can eat 10 lbs of strawberries even in shortcake form.   That's when you have to ask yourself what that Laura Ingalls girl would do.  Jam of course, for the long hard winter.  

This version of jam has a bit of red wine and some citrus flavor in a nod to one of my favorite warm weather drinks...sangria!

Some may think jam is scary.  I think it's really just precise.  If you follow the recipe and process exactly, you have jam.  If you start making alterations on the fly, often you'll have lumpy juice.  This recipe I ripped out of a newspaper (don't have which one or when...sorry newspaper for not giving you credit) calls for tons of sugar.  I love to use the low sugar pectin because I like my jam less sweet, but wasn't willing to risk experimenting using the low sugar pectin with the wine.

I also really love the process of sterilizing the jars and lids--it makes me feel so clean and surgical.  I throw everything in the water bath too...even the plastic funnel for about a minute.  

The tools can mean the difference between whether jam is fun, or jam is frustrating.  You can pick up the tools (widemouth funnel, jar tongs and long tool with magnet for grabbing the lids out of the water bath) for under $10 at Target.  It's so worth it...using your regular tongs is just a 2nd degree burn waiting to happen.  Trust me on that one.  These jar tongs are the best thing that ever happened to canning.

This jam has just a slight wine flavor and the orange oil adds just the perfect sangria fruity flavor.  It is definitely on the sweet side (like all sugary jams are )though so just a little will probably do you if you are a little sensitive to sweet.  If not, you could just grab a spoon and eat it Joey Tribbiani style.  

Gratuitous puppy shot of the day. 

Strawberry Sangria Jam

5 cups chopped strawberries (about 3 lbs)
4 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp orange oil
1/2 cup red wine
1 package (1.75 oz) powdered pectin
6 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tbsp butter

1. Prepare your canning supplies by sterilizing all lids, jars (and tools such as ladle) in simmering water for 5 minutes
2. Wash strawberries well and chop into 1/4 inch dice.  Measure 5 cups into 8 quart soup pot.
3. Use a potato masher to roughly crush the berries. 
4. Add sugar to the the crushed strawberries along with lemon juice, orange oil and wine. 
5. Whisk in the pectin until dissolved, and then bring to a rolling boil. Add the sugar and butter all at once and return to a full boil. Boil hard 1-2 minutes. 
6. Remove from the heat
7. Ladle the jam into the jars, leaving 1/4″ headspace. Top with lids and bands.
8. Place the jars back into the canner and process for 10 minutes. 
9. Remove jars from bath and let cool before testing seal.  Jars should make popping noises as the seals lock.  When cool test all jars by pressing lightly in the center of the lids.  Lids should not move or click--if any do, place jar in refrigerator and use first. 
10. Let remaining jars sit 24 hours for the jam to set resisting all temptation to tap and swirl and turn jars to see if jam has set yet. :)
11. Makes 8 eight-ounce jars