Jam On

These days, I'm all about cooking classes (and pretending it's summer). A couple weeks ago I took a jam-making class with the wonderful Laena McCarthy, founder of artisanal jam company Anarchy in a Jar. I've been a fan of Laena's jam ever since I stumbled upon it at the Brooklyn Flea (where, it must be said, I find all my favorite foods).


I love Laena's jam for its unexpected elements, like balsamic, mint and peppercorns. She also has great suggestions for pairing her creations with other food (hot pepper jelly on grilled cheese, or fig jam on pizza, for example). Laena's vendors include Williams-Sonoma and Whole Foods, and she personally delivers her jams by bicycle to Brooklyn customers (could she be any cuter?).

Luckily, she's sharing her secrets with the rest of us in the form of small, hands-on classes. Students learn the basics of jam-making, including how to pour the perfect jar and where to buy the best local organic fruit. This is a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-cracking kind of environment: we mashed the fruit, added the sugar, stirred the pot and sealed the jars. We also got to take our jam home, and I enjoyed mine on toasted croissants for weeks.


After taking Laena's class, I am a firm believer than anyone can--and should--make their own jam. The process of fruit to jar is so simple, yet there's nothing more special than giving someone a jar of homemade preserves. Laena was kind enough to share her recipe for the strawberry mint jam we made in class, and I promise it's as easy as it looks.

These classes are a wonderful opportunity to learn the basics of traditional jam-making, while experimenting with different flavors. But be forewarned: once you take her class, you'll want to spend all your free time foraging for berries.


Strawberry Jam with Mint & Pepper

A note on jars: you can buy them at any cooking store, but they're much cheaper at hardware stores.

This strawberry jam tastes like pure strawberries because we used fresh-picked berries. And instead of commercial, artificial pectin, we used Pomona’s Universal Pectin. Pomona’s is an all natural pectin that doesn’t require sugar to jell, so jams and jellies can be made with less, little, or no sugar (stevia, honey, etc can also be used as sweetener, but you'll need to adjust your measurements from the ones below).

You can buy Pomona’s online, in many health food stores, and in Brooklyn at the lovely Brooklyn Kitchen.

Ingredients
4 C mashed strawberries
2 C sugar
2 tsp calcium water (this comes in the Pomona's Pectin packet)
2 tsp pectin
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp chopped mint
1/4 tsp ground peppercorns

Remove strawberry stems and wash. Lightly mash with a potato masher (this works best), wooden spoon or hands--but beware, the acid can cause a rash on your skin.

Now, make the calcium water: Put 1/2 tsp white calcium powder and 1/2C water in a small, clear jar with lid. Store in refrigerator between uses. Note: calcium water lasts a number of months, but discard if the settled white powder discolors. Also, always shake well before using.

Once the calcium water is prepared, wash and rinse your jars and let stand in hot water. Bring lids and rings to a rolling boil (you should be able to hear them making a racket in the pot), turn down heat and let stand in hot water. Reserve this pot of water, because you'll need to boil the jars again once they're full of jam.

Meanwhile, prepare the berries. Pour them into a stainless steel pot (or
Le Crusseut, or copper if you are so lucky) and squeeze lemon juice over them. Add 2 tsp calcium water into pan and stir well.

Measure sugar into separate bowl and thoroughly mix proper amount of pectin powder sugar. Bring berries to a boil. They'll start to foam, and you'll want to skim this foam off the top and discard it. Add your mixed pectin sugar and stir vigorously for 1-2 minutes, until pectin fully dissolves.

Return berries to a boil and remove from heat. Skim off any remaining foam that has formed at the top. Add mint leaves and ground peppercorns and stir to incorporate.

Fill jars almost to the top, wipe the rims clean and screw on the 2-piece lids. Bring the same pot of water you used to sterilize the jars back to a boil. Place filled jars in the pot of boiling water, and cover. Boil 10 minutes. Remove from water, and let jars cool. It's very important to make sure the seals of the lids are sucked down. Some jars take a bit more time to do this than others, but they should all seal within a few moments of being removed from the boiling water.

Jam lasts one to two months once opened.

Note: Pectin completes its jell when thoroughly cool.

Recipe and images courtesy of Anarchy in a Jar.