Strawberry & Vintage Cava Jam.

I wanted to make a lovely strawberry jam, because if you make jam, you need to be able to make strawberry don't you?  I really wanted to make a Delicious but different jam which my friends and family would looking forward to trying.   And Delicious this was, and it has also been my most flavoursome jam according to by samplers.

The Jam Stuff!
1kg of Strawberries (Once hulled this measured 800g)
375ml of Vintage Cava or Champagne
430g Jam Sugar with added Pectin
410g Granulated Sugar
110ml Lemon Juice
Maslin Pan or Heavy Bottomed Saucepan
Potato Masher
Wooden Spoon
Jam Jars ( 6 x 200ml were used and 2 x 30ml)

The Recipe

Put a small plate in the freezer ready to test for setting point in the jam.

Start by Pouring boiling water from the kettle into each jar to leave for a few minutes.  Do the same over the lids in a bowl.   Once the jars have sat for a few minutes empty them and put them into a low oven to dry while you make the jam.

Start the jam by putting 240g of the strawberries into a heavy bottomed pan and bash down with the potato masher over a medium heat. Add approx half of the granulated sugar and stir and bash until you create a nice thick sauce which will help the rest of the jam develop, it will take about 5minutes.

Next you need to add the rest of the sugar, the rest of the fruit and the lemon juice and stir until all the fruit starts to break down in the pan.  As soon as you can see this happening you can add the Cava or Champagne to the mix and keep stirring until the recipe starts to thicken.  Keep the mix at a medium to highish heat and look for a rolling boil.  The rolling boil is the point when the jam is able to reach the temperature which will aid setting point.

I was mesmerised by the dark thick crimson colour in the pan as the recipe got nearer to setting point.  I am not sure if it was the Cava creating this or just the strawberries.  As I looked into the pan the bubbles looked like small twinkling starts in a deep red sky.  It was beautiful without sounding too ott.  I tried to take a picture and I got this.... Although it doesn't do it justice to what it was like in the pan.

The jam needs to cook for around 12 minutes before it reaches setting point.  This batch took me about 17minutes.   So I tested it but putting a small teaspoon onto the plate out of the freezer, leaving it for a minute. When it crinkled when I pushed my finger through the sample jam I knew it was done.

Then I poured it into my sterilised jars and created a wonderful set of Strawberry jams for my Christmas hampers.  The recipe made 6 x 200ml Jars and 2 x30ml jar.

There is not a strong taste of Cava in this jam but the use of the Vintage Cava gave the strawberries a really special taste.  Sometimes strawberry jam is very sweet and the Cava took some sweetness out of this while allowing the strawberry taste to taste their best.

I hope you enjoy it.

Steph x