Microwave Strawberry Jam Recipes

Steps:

• Place strawberries in a large microwave-safe bowl; add sugar and stir until evenly coated.
• Heat strawberries in microwave for 2 minutes; gently stir and continue cooking in microwave, stirring every 2 minutes, until thick and glossy, 6 to 10 minutes. Refrigerate jam until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Put the vanilla seeds and pod in a heavy, nonreactive skillet. Add the sugar, orange juice and cardamom pods and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• Add the strawberries to the skillet and stir once to coat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and jam-like, 20 to 25 minutes. (The longer the mixture cooks, the thicker the jam will be after it cools.) Remove from the heat and let cool before using. Discard the cardamom and vanilla pods before serving. (The jam will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.)

Steps:

• Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with a piece of damp kitchen paper. (Wiping the strawberries rather than washing them ensures the fruit doesn't absorb lots of water - too much water and the jam won't set easily.) To hull the fruit, use a knife to cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. Cut any large berries in half.
• Put the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss through the sugar. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 12 hrs or overnight. This process helps the sugar to dissolve, ensures the fruit doesn't disintegrate too much and helps to keep its vibrant colour.
• Before starting the jam, put 2 saucers in the freezer. Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan with the lemon juice. Set over a low heat and cook very gently. If any sugar remains on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush the sugar away.
• When you can no longer feel any grains of sugar remaining, turn up the heat to start bubbling the jam and bringing it to the boil. (The sugar must be completely dissolved before increasing the heat, otherwise it will be difficult for the jam to set, and it may contain crystallised lumps of sugar.)
• Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat. If you don't have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto one of the cold saucers. Leave for 30 secs, then push with your finger; if the jam wrinkles and doesn't flood to fill the gap, it is ready. If not, turn the heat back on and boil for 2 mins more, then turn off the heat and do the wrinkle test again. Repeat until ready.
• Use a spoon to skim any scum that has risen to the surface and discard this. Do this only once at the end, rather than constantly during the boiling stage, to reduce wastage.
• Add a knob of butter, if you like, to the finished jam, and stir in to melt. This will help to dissolve any remaining scum that you haven't managed to spoon off the top. Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins - this will ensure that the fruit stays suspended in the mixture and doesn't all float to the top of the jam jar. Meanwhile, sterilise your jars.
• Ladle into warm jars, filling to just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam (this prevents mildew forming), then cover with a lid or a cellophane circle and elastic band. Pop on a label (include the date), plus a pretty fabric top, if you like. The jam can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

Steps:

• Measure whole berries, sugar and lemon juice into a 16-cup microwave-safe bowl.
• Stir well.
• Let stand for 10 minutes.
• Microwave, uncovered, on High for about 12 minutes, until mixture comes to a full roiling boil and boils for one minute.
• Stir well 3 times during cooking.
• Immediately stir in pectin and Amaretto liqueur.
• Skim off foam with a metal spoon.
• Continue stirring often and skimming off foam for 10 minutes.
• Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a medium microwave-proof bowl. Stir well and stand 5 minutes for juices to start to run from strawberries.
• Microwave, uncovered on medium heat (50 percent) for 4 minutes, stirring half way through cooking time to dissolve sugar. Make sure all the sugar crystals are dissolved at this stage. You may need to brush side of bowl with a water dipped brush.
• Once sugar is dissolved, cook jam on high (100 percent) uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring after every 2 minutes or until jam reaches setting consistency.
• To test whether the jam has reached setting point, drop a small spoonful onto a cold saucer and cool to room temperature before testing. The jam should wrinkle slightly when you push it with your finger. At this point the jam can be transferred to warm sterilised jars and left to cool before sealing tightly.