1.4 kg hulled and chopped strawberries
1 kg sugar
2 lemons' juice and zest
2 (85ml) packets of liquid pectins
200 ml water
5 Premium Earl Grey tea bags
5 to 6 250ml sanitized jars
Makes 5 (250ml) jars
In a nonreactive bowl, combine the chopped strawberries with 200g sugar. Let the mixture sit at room temperature until the sugar begins to pull the liquid out of the berries, about 15 to 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
When you're ready to make the jam. Boil the 200ml water to 100°C/212°F, then steep the tea bags for 3 minutes.
Remove the macerated strawberries from the fridge and pour everything into a large, nonreactive pot. Add the remaining 800g sugar, Earl Grey tea and tea bags, lemon juice and zest, stir to continue. Bring to a boil over high heat (be careful that this mixture will foam madly), cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until it becomes a thick syrupy consistency.
Remove the tea bags from the mixture. You can blend the mixture with an immersion blender or transfer about a third of the jam to a blender and purée, then return the purée to the pot.
Add the pectin to the mixture and bring to a rolling boil. Insert your candy thermometer into the jam and attach it to the side of the pot. Let the jam boil vigorously until it reache 220°F/105°C.
Once the jam reach 220°F/105°C and remains at that temperature for 2 minutes, remove thepot from the heat and ladle the jam into your prepared jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Store the jams in a cool place and refrigerate once open.
To learn more about preserving fruits, I recommend this book.
