Christine Ferber's Strawberry-Lemon Grass Jam

I don't know about you, but strawberry jam tastes like Band-Aids to me. It always has. How would I know what Band-Aids taste like, I'm sure you're wanting to know. I'm an absent-minded cuticle chewer, that's how. You'd be surprised how many inadvertent bites of Band-Aid I've had in my life.

I like eating strawberries sliced and sugared and drizzled with balsamic vinegar. (Just the tiniest bit, people. You shouldn't be able to taste the vinegar, but it will bring out the very essence of strawberry-ness and your simple bowl of sliced, sugared strawberries will make even someone who (I swear) told me just the other week that he thinks strawberries are his least favorite fruit (can you even believe it??) sit up and ask for seconds.) I like eating them whole, dropped into a bowl of plain yogurt. I like eating them on my cereal or over a sink or at a picnic, where I am bound by my genetic code to get red strawberry juice on some article of clothing. In short, give me all the fresh strawberries of the world and I'll gobble them right up. Offer me some strawberry jam and I'll be honest, I'd almost rather just eat a boiled egg.

Last week, though, I went strawberry picking with my friends in a field right outside of Potsdam (of Sans Souci and Conference fame). What is with that weird greed that bubbles up when you're out picking fruit and you've filled all your baskets and somehow you just can't stop from picking, because with every step you take you're confronted with more and more perfect berry specimens that simply cannot be allowed to remain on the plant? I came home with more than three kilos, people, three. For two people, one of whom would rather be eating a kiwi. So jam it would have to be.

A week before I went strawberry-picking, Molly came to visit for a week, bearing a jar of Christine Ferber jam as a present. I used to be sort of obsessed with Christine Ferber's jam recipes, but over the years moved away from her methods, which felt fussy to me, even if the results were often spectacular. But inspired by the pretty little jar sitting on my kitchen counter, I decided that if anyone was going to get me to eat strawberry jam again, it would probably be her, the jam fairy of Alsace.

It was difficult to decide between two strawberry jam recipes of Christine's that I found online. One involved extracting juice from raspberries and mixing that with the strawberries along with balsamic vinegar. The other involved candying lemon slices and adding those along with spiky lemon grass leaves to the strawberries. How on earth would I choose? I suddenly found myself planning two batches of jam.

The lemon version has you put paper-thin slices of lemon in a water-lemon juice-sugar syrup and simmer gently until the slices are candied and looking shiny. You add the lemons and their syrup to the pot of sugared strawberries, along with those lemon grass leaves, which I pounded a little bit for extra fragrance. Christine's recipes use more sugar than the ones I'm used to (my mother usually aims for a three to one ratio of fruit and sugar), but I wanted to follow it just as it was written. I can be a little pedantic like that sometimes.

Christine is also a professional, so she wants you to skim skim skim that jam, which I did (my mother usually skips that step). I got very, let's say, focused on the skimming. But let me tell you, I've never made a jam that was as jewel-like and clear as this one. It was worth the effort.

The best part of jam-making, for me, is picking which glass jars to fill. At the moment, I'm having a little love affair with Weck's tulip jars, inspired by an author of mine whose book on canning you should pre-order now (trust me on this one). Her recipe for Plum Jam with Cardamom, speaking of recipes worth the price of the cookbook they're printed in, should go in some kind of Cooking Hall of Fame, it is so good. And wait until you see this cookbook. Ooh! I am so excited for you - it is a total gem. Anyway. Weck jars. In the US, they're hard to find and a little expensive. (Try Lehman's or Heath Ceramics for online ordering.) Here in Germany, where Weck jars were born, they're cheap and easy to find.

You have to process them in a water-bath, which is another step my mother always eschews as, to be honest, do I when using regular jam jars with screw-on lids, but the cuteness of the Weck jars is worth the extra effort of the water-bath. So! Here's how it goes:

You wash those babies with lots of hot soapy water and soak the elastic bands for a few minutes in hot water. You let everything dry off and then you fill the jars with the piping hot jam. Wipe off the rims, fasten the elastic bands to the lids, pop them on top of the jars, clamp down the metal clips and, using tongs, put the filled jars into a pot of boiling water. Bring the water back up to the boil once the pot is filled and boil for 5 minutes. Then carefully remove the jars from the pot with those tongs and let them cool on a cloth towel, overnight. Remove the clips the next day - if you've processed your jam correctly, the lids will be on very tight and you can go store the jam jars in your pantry and feel smug. If you pull the clips off and discover that the lid isn't being held on by a vacuum seal, there was a problem with the processing. Either keep that jam in your fridge to be eaten by you sometime in the next few weeks, or re-process the jar (wash the lid and elastic band again, re-fasten, put everything back in place, but put the filled jam jar (cold this time) in a pot of cold water, which you bring to a boil and then process for five minutes.

Questions? Leave them in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. Remember, jam-making is not the same as pickling: there's very little danger. The amount of sugar in most jams is enough to kill any bacteria and the cooking process (not to mention the optional water bath) finishes off the rest. Little old ladies in tiny European towns have been making jam without vacuum seals and water-baths and high sugar volumes for millennia, or at least centuries.

Anyway, the jam. Clear and garnet-hued, it was certainly the prettiest jam I've ever made. The strawberries held their shape beautifully. The lemon slices snake their way through each jar. The jam is, for lack of a better word, the brightest, cleanest-tasting strawberry jam I've ever had. The lemon sort of elevates the usually more muddled-tasting strawberry onto a different plane, but because of the candying process, the lemon's bite is quite tame, muted even. The fragrance of the lemon grass wafts through each spoonful but if you didn't put "lemon grass" on the jam label, you wouldn't be able to identify its flavor. It's just this sort of faint, floral nudge here and there. In a word, fantastic. Boiled eggs? I'd rather have this stuff on toast, please. Giving it away is going to be kind of hard.

As for that other recipe? My strawberries were gone before I could get to the second batch.

Strawberry-Lemon Grass Jam
Makes five ½-pint jars

2¾ pounds strawberries
4 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Scant ½ cup water
10 paper-thin slices lemon
10 fresh lemongrass leaves, cut in half crosswise

1. Prepare your jars, whether by sterilizing in a hot oven or by washing in hot, soapy water. If processing in a water bath, put a large pot of water on to boil.

2. Pick over the berries, discarding those that are green, white or mushy. Rinse briefly in a colander and shake off the excess water. Hull the berries and slice coarsely into a 6-quart pot. Stir in 3½ cups sugar and set aside.

3. In a 2-quart pot, combine ½ cup sugar with the lemon juice and water. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add lemon slices and simmer gently until translucent, about 15 minutes. Pour over the strawberries and stir in the lemon grass. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Then bring to a boil. Stir gently and skim the foam from the top. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the temperature reaches 220 degrees on a candy thermometer. The jam should sheet from a metal spoon and a spoonful placed on a cold plate should gel within a few minutes. Remove the pieces of lemongrass.

4. Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rim of each jar with a clean, damp cloth. Place a hot lid on each jar and screw down firmly. Turn upside down and let cool completely, at least 12 hours. Or, as each jar is filled and capped, place in boiling-water bath with the water 1 to 2 inches over the jars. When canner is full place cover on pot, bring back to a steady boil and process 5 minutes. Remove jars with a lifter and set on a rack or towel 12 to 24 hours. Store in a cool, dark place.

Comments

[Jennifer]

I must confess, I hate skimming too, and often skip that step. You might have just convinced me to at least reconsider. I can also see how the lemon would give the strawberries that bright clean flavor. What a lovely recipe—thanks for sharing.

[Victoria]

Oh, Luisa, Darling - I LOVE little strawberries just picked from the field. I use just droplets of my real Balsamic Vinegar on them.

I also sugar them lightly and layer them with the best vanilla ice cream I can find (or make when I am being industrious).

I make little jars of Immediate Gratification Jam from Joie de Vivre.

But now I want those glistening jars of your jam on my shelf too. The local strawberries are available upstate.

I guess I'm going to be busy next weekend.

[Cowgirl Chef]

I love eating strawberries with cracked black pepper. But now I'm convinced that I must make my own jam. This looks delicious and simple, too. Love that.

[Michele]

Oh I can so relate to having "eyes bigger than stomach" syndrome, picking way too many berries then being faced with an over full fridge and wondering what on earth to do with all of them! My last two strawberry picking outings (in the last 2 weeks) have resulted in a really good strawberry lime sorbet, and a not so great strawberry jam making experience. Let's just say I discovered how to make "twice cooked" strawberry jam!

[Marcia]

I have always used lemon juice and lemon peel in my jams, as lemon's natural pectin helps the jam to set, offsets the sugar and brings out the fruit flavors. I can't wait to try the candied lemon slices, as they look so beautiful in the jars.

[windycityvegan]

I only use Weck jars, and you're right - they're a real pain to find in the U.S.! We are way beyond strawberry season here in the South, but I am drowning in wild blackberries. I'll have to nose around and see if Christine has a good blackberry jam recipe.

[jonquil]

yum! & kudos for canning during high summer. another addition to the wish list it is...

[Liana]

Oh, it's beautiful! And those tulip jars! Sigh.

I've recently decided that all strawberry preserves probably should have slices of whole lemon in them. It's just such a nice little surprise to come across a tender-chewy bit of tartness. Lemongrass sounds amazing too. I do love grassy flavors with strawberry—fresh cilantro and basil, chamomile, lavender, even a little tea ball of dried alfalfa.

[KitchenPickersMakeBiggerKnickers]

How do you manage to describe the contents of a pot of jam so beautifully?!!!! 'Lemons snaking...' and 'garnet-hued'. Love reading your blog so much!

[TheKitchenWitch]

Those tulip jam jars are absolutely lovely! I'm far too slothful to skim and jar my own jam, so I'll just admire yours. And I cannot fathom your friend who doesn't like strawberries--a seed issue, I wonder? Inconceivable!

[notyet100]

thnks for this,..

[robin (Hippo Flambe)]

I have made the strawberry raspberry jam with balsamic vinegar and I think you chose the better of the 2 recipes. My children loved it but it was a little to dark and sweet and overpowering for me. We call it Obama jam as my oldest son and I made it while listening to the presidential election returns, hearing Vermont, where I live be called first for Obama.

Jam is the safest product to can because of the sugar and the high acid. Fruit is high in acid and botulism cannot live in a high acid environment. Your description of the jam has me thinking I need to pick enough strawberries to make the last batch of freezer jam we need for the winter, plus this jam.

-Robin

[Vanessa]

Love the new banner! How nice that Molly came to visit and bearing gifts too. To be honest, I'm not a huge strawberry jam fan; someone told me strawberry is the trickiest kind to make because they contain little natural pectin but I assume using the lemon juice would make that foolproof. For the moment I'm still hesitating although the thought of proudly displaying those lovely jars full of my own homemade produce appeals to me.

[Adrienne]

Mmm, this looks fantastic! I'm not a big strawberry jam person either, but the lemongrass is very intriguing. My canning season started with pickled asparagus, but I haven't made jam yet. Soon, very soon, I think.

[my little expat kitchen]

I love strawberry jam but with the lemongrass leaves sounds absolutely fantastic and original.
Magda

[Lecia]

Your new header is your best yet in my opinion.

Last night my oldest son wrote on his list for summer, "Pick berries. Make jam." We're going to go strawberry picking later this week and will definitely make this. Thanks!

[brooklynite]

I was JUST thinking about making some jam. The lemongrass is intriguing. Thanks for another great post!

[Jennifer S]

Now I know I need to get more creative than basic jam. The candied lemon has me so intrigued. I envy your beautiful jars, but I'm swimming in Ball jars, so I won't be investing just yet.

[Caitlin]

I'm an avid strawberry lover as well and this looks wonderful! I need to give this a try before summer is over. Great photos!
http://amusebouche-caitlin.blogspot.com/

[The French @ crispytarts]

Wow. This sounds amazing! And a great idea for summertime gifts!
Love the addition of lemon:)

[emily]

what was the name of the farm? my brother lives in berlin and i want to pass the info on to him

[Luisa]

Kitchen Pickers - thank you!!

Robin - oh, good to know. Thanks! I love that you call it Obama Jam. :)

Lecia - that is adorable. You have to save that list!

Emily - it was Neumann's Erntegarten in Potsdam, http://www.hofladen-potsdam.de/

[Tyla]

I love your new banner, Luisa! And the jam looks incredible, which pretty much goes without saying!

[Andrea]

I also had an episode of over-picking this weekend. I've made strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, strawberries with yogurt... and I still have berries left. I wasn't going to attempt jam this year, but strawberries with lemon might change my mind!

[Jennifer Jo]

Here, strawberries are over. Bookmarking this for next year.

[Katie @ Cozydelicious]

Your jam looks beautiful! I am a freezer jam girl because I have a fear of the water bath and memories of my grandmother sweating over the steamy stove. But you make it sound so fun! I do have a question though... I bought these adorable jars, and they do not have rubber bands. This may be a silly question, but can I use jars without bands?

[Maddie]

This is killing me! I missed strawberry-picking season in Virginia by just a few days...and my first set of canning jars arrived late, too. Now I'm biding my time, waiting for raspberries or peaches to come into season, but next year I'll be on the ball and have this recipe bookmarked!

[Simon]

drool...

check out some salmon recipes on my blog if you want to :)

[Georgia Pellegrini]

AAaaah, Luisa, these are the German Weck jars that I'm obsessed with! They're just starting to circulate here and I've been wishing I've had some for a while now... I bet they're abundant over there. And perhaps less expensive? How lucky you are.

[Hannah]

Oh please do tell- What store in Germany did you buy your Weck jars from? I have a contact overseas that went looking for me, but to no avail. Those things sure are hard to get over here!

[Jenn A]

@Katy - Fear not the boiling water bath canning! IT's best done on a cool day, though (which is all we've had here in the PNW lately... sigh). And yes, you do need bands, which you should be able to find at hardware stores. P.S. I love you for the orange-chocolate truffles on your blog. http://pintsizedpioneering.blogspot.com

[Denise @ Chez Danisse]

A beautiful combination of ingredients and your Weck jars are very cute.

[robin (Hippo Flambe)]

Luisa, Calling it Obama Jam would be better if I had any desire to make it again. Plus the 2 are not in season at the same time here. So I had to combine the strawberries and sugar ready for its overnight in the fridge but put it in the freezer instead to wait. My kids loved it and keep asking when I am making Obama Jam again, um... never.

-Robin

[Luisa]

Katie - the bands are what allow the jars to become vacuum-sealed. If you don't have the bands, you've just got a glass jar with a glass lid that doesn't screw on. I'd look around online for matching rubber bands for your jars if you want to can with them.

Georgia - they are definitely less expensive here. And a little easier to find, too. :)

Hannah - in Berlin, you can find a great assortment at a store called Glasklar on Knesebeck Strasse and at the Coledampf stores - Uhlandstrasse and Kollwitzplatz. Manufactum also sells this tulip shape in bulk - that's on Hardenbergstrasse.

[ann]

OH man. That sounds superduper good. I've got a jamming-jonse going on right now (I keep looking at our blackberries and screaming "Ripen! Dammit!"), so maybe this will hold me over for another month.

[Jill]

I've never made jam because it seems so daunting. This sounds delicious, although I think the only way I would attempt it would be with a like-minded friend who was up for an adventure in the kitchen!

[Hannah]

Thank you so much for your response, Luisa! Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on some of these jars after all.

[Heather]

looks great! i wonder how this might work with cherries , since i've got oh.... 10 lbs sitting in my fridge...

[The Rowdy Chowgirl]

That really is some beautiful jam. I've been browsing the jam-making books as I gear up to make blackberry jam for the first time this summer, so I'm especially thankful that you mentioned your friend's canning book.

[Shae]

I appreciate your detailed instructions for using Weck jars. I recently got my first set (from Lehman's) and wasn't certain how to process them. I've been wanting to use them next week for apricot jam -- so thank you!

Because of the mentions of balsamic and black pepper (in the comments), I feel compelled to share a link to a fabulous recipe for strawberry balsamic black pepper jam. (I wish it were my own recipe!) I've made four batches this spring and people who visit my house run off with the jars after they taste it. As with the lemon, the balsamic (which you can't taste) and pepper give a lovely pop to the berries. Also, it has much less sugar than a Ferber jam. It's here, if anyone's interested: http://ow.ly/21VIq.

Oh, and the book. I'm looking forward to it. What a great post this is. :-)

[Zia Elle]

Strawberries-lemon, wow, it sounds a perfect jam!!!

[Mary Kay]

I don't eat jam. I've never made jam. But this post has made me desperate to do both. I do have a question though, about the lemongrass. The recipe says cut the leaves in half; so does that mean there are just several long stalks of lemon grass dispersed throughout the jam?

[julia@kolo]

I love lemon juice with my jam, but never considered lemon slices before, what an excellent idea! And thank you for the local links - two more good reasons to visit Berlin soon.

PS - I'm just over from Blackbird's blog; it's great to find you!

[Michelle]

You just made me laugh on a day when it felt like laughter wasn't an option ("jam fairy" really got me). Thank you!

[Luisa]

Mary Kay - you remove the lemon grass pieces before canning the jam (see the end of Step 3).

Michelle - you're welcome! (I know those kinds of days.) x

[windycityvegan]

Not jam related, but I thought immediately of you when I saw the announcement - Gourmet magazine is being launched on the iPad!

[Tami]

Lucky you for being able to score beautiful Weck jars easily and inexpensively. I've coveted them for so long...

[Truth About Abs]

That looks soooo delicious! I absolutely love strawberries! Thanks for the recipe!

[Veggieobsession]

Hah, I know just what you mean - I think all cooked strawberries taste like BandAids! That's why I'm so against strawberries cooked into rhubarb pie, just ruins it for me. But fresh strawberries are absolute perfection. So you think the skimming is the key? Maybe I'll try it.

I have grown lemongrass in a pot indoors for the last few years, it's quite easy and makes wonderful tea. I started it by rooting a stalk from the Asian grocery in a glass of water!

[Irina Wardas, CHHC]

Strawberry jam sounds delicious - you remind me my grandmother.....

As for strawberries, don't forget to use them as a facial by itself or mixing with plain yogurt or olive oil. This home made mask will help you look fabulous.
Breathe, smile and be happy.