On a recent trip to Europe, our dear friends Paul and T met us in Almeria to spend a few days together at my cousin Lucy’s flat in San José, Spain.
We stayed one night in Almeria because the flat was already booked. We stumbled upon Joseba Anorga Taberna quite by accident and had one of our most memorable meals in Spain (not counting the one star Michelin, but that’s another story). The Tapas were excellent and beautifully presented. It was a ridiculously hot and humid evening in Almeria so we didn’t want a heavy meal to weigh us down so sharing tapas was the perfect solution.
Joseba Anorga Taberna is a contemporary restaurant rated as one of the top ten in Almeria, what luck we had finding it! These are just a few of the tapas we enjoyed our first night in Spain. Buen Apetito.
Just before we left for Europe, I found the last of the Ontario strawberries at my local grocer and they weren’t even overpriced! I bought a few pints and decided to make strawberry jam out of them to enjoy over the winter. I used a pectin-free recipe using a 3:1 ratio, three parts fruit to one part sugar. The jelling will take longer than a full-sugar version but it’s worth it. It’s not a sickly sweet jam, which is just fine by me!
Strawberry Jam
Yield: 500 mL or 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 936 g strawberries, washed and hulled
- 309 g sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 good size lemon
- zest of 1 lemon
Directions:
- Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of your 10-cup food processor. Plus until desired consistency is achieved (see notes).
- Pour content into a non-reactive, heavy bottom pan (I used my Le Creuset). Slowly heat until the sugar is dissolved and bring very slowly to a boil. Remove foam as it appears (see notes).
- Boil until the jam reaches 105° C (220° F) and has thickened up and reached the jellied stage (test a small amount on an ice cold plate and if you can wrinkle the jam, it’s done!)
Notes:
- I reduced the sugar according to this website (see last paragraph). To get to the jelly stage will take a little longer than the full sugar version, but it’s worth it.
- I do not have a potato masher, instead of pulsing you may mash the berries with said masher, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Apparently, foam contains a lot more air than the actual jam so leaving it may reduce the shelf-life of your jam (source here).
This jam has a really nice consistency Eva. I don’t use pectin but I do use lemon seeds or peels. And I’m like you, I don’t tend to eat as much when it’s hot.
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Thank you kindly Lorraine. I haven’t heard of using seeds a pectin but it makes sense, I’m off to google it now!
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Eva, it’s so wonderful to keep on recalling wonderful holidays’ memories, especially the culinary ones… an if you still have some photographs. I forget so often to take photographs (I’m usually so emotionally “busy” when I eat something beautiful and/or delicious, the photo is the last thing I think of), so I have to rely on my brain only…
Anyway, the jam looks delicious especially for me who hates very sweet sweets.
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Thank you for your kind words, Sissi, but I must come clean. It is not I who remembers to take photos, because I too, am emotionally involved, it is my dear JT who always reminds me (sometimes I may have even taken a bite!)
It’s not exactly my Mom’s jam, but it is pretty close!
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Fantastic looking jam, Eva. THe website to which you referred looks like a good one and I’ll keep it in mind for the future. What luck finding that restaurant upon your arrival in Spain! If the tapas tasted half as good as they looked, you must have enjoyed a heavenly meal. Is there a better way to start a visit? Not for me!
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Hi John, thank you for your kind words. Indeed, having a wonderful meal with good friends is the best way to begin a vacation!
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I haven’t been to Spain in decades. Such good food and wine there! You’ve been really inspiring me to get back there. Anyway, lovely looking jam — looks terrific. Thanks!
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Hi John, it is mind boggling how good and inexpensive the food is in Spain. I am told that Italy can be the same! We had lovely local wines for as little as 3.5 Euros!
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Your Tapas adventure sounds marvelous. As does this jam. I love when travel adventures lead to such unexpected delight. You must be doing it right! GREG
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Thank you for your kind words, Greg. I love reading about your travel adventures too, because they always involve food!
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Oh oh oh! Divine.
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Thank you so much Ruth.
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I hope to visit Spain one day—I love your travel stories and photos! Your jam looks perfect. I find the store bought strawberry version to be way too sweet (and short on flavor!). Homemade is definitely the way to go–I bet yours is marvelous.
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Thank you Liz, the thing I love about telling stories about our vacation is that it allows me to relive those beautiful memories time and time again. I agree, store bought jam is tasteless.
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Oh, I love a good strawberry jam Eva (sounds like your Mom did too!) I tend to use chia for gelling just to skip all the sugar but it sounds like you found a happy balance; you will love returning to this burst of summer through the colder months. That shot with the melting butter on the toast…. what can I say, it took a piece of my heart o; (ps: your tapas meal sounds delish! sharing small plates is so much fun and you get to sample a broader selection that way too – love seeing the ingenuity that goes into those creations).
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Kelly, now you have made me very interested, using chia instead of pectin and sugar??? Does it preserve the jam? Or do you have to put it in the freezer?
Thanks for your kind words, I learned a trick or two from an American food stylist when I assisted her a while back, melty butter was one!
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You should see my strawberry patch!
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I’m super jealous Liz, I haven’t had much luck growing strawberries at all.
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I like jam made with less sugar, the fruit tastes seems to come through more.
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It sure does Karen, thanks for your comment.
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Must be very fresh and delicious! Homemade is for sure the best!
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Thank you kindly Angie, it sure is the best.
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The jam looks lovely.
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Thank you Maria.
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