Strawberry, Lime and Whiskey Jam from Britain

When it’s strawberry season it is almost your duty to capture the taste of summer in this delightful jam.  The lime and whiskey give this traditional jam its ‘wow’ factor and that extra bit of ‘zing.’  Besides with your morning slice of toast, this jam can be used in many other tarts and treats.  Strawberries are low in pectin which is what makes jams set.  This recipe uses homemade apple pectin, which means that no chemicals were harmed in the making of this recipe!

Apple Pectin

5 green apples

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cups water

Put the water in a large pot and add the lemon juice.  Slice the apples into quarters leaving the core, seeds and skin on.  Bring to the boil and let apples cook until soft.  The liquid is your apple pectin.  Strain the liquid to remove the apple pieces and you are ready to start with your strawberry jam.  The apple pieces can always be recycled and used in an apple pie or crumble.

The Jam

6 cups sliced strawberries

¾ cup apple pectin

5 cups sugar

2 tablespoons whiskey

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

3 whole cloves

Put all the ingredients into a big pot and bring to the boil.  Keep stirring frequently to prevent sticking.  Your jam is set when you dip an ice-cold metal spoon into the mixture and it forms one big globule.  Turn off the heat and immediately pour it into sterislised jars.  Put the lid on straight away.  The jam will keep for about 4 months.  Because of the heat of summer, I usually keep the opened jar in the fridge, but it isn't necessary.
Cindy Vine is a South African currently living and working in Kyiv in Ukraine.  She is the author of Hush Baby, Defective, C U @ 8, Not Telling and The Case of Billy B.  All her books are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. http://cindyvine.com