Strawberry Jam with Grand Marnier and a GIVEAWAY!

Strawberry Preserves fresh out of the canning pot.

A couple of weeks ago, Ethan and I picked strawberries at a local farm, and I spent the week making preserves. It was nice to pull the jam pot out of the cupboard again. Our eighteen pounds of strawberries turned into the following in our kitchen: 1 quart strawberry vodka (currently infusing in our dining room closet), 3 ¼ pints Strawberry Jam with Grand Marnier, 3 ¾ pints Strawberry Balsamic Jam, 2 ¼ pints Strawberry Balsamic Glaze, 1 ½ pints Strawberry Jam with Mint. And we ate bunches of them fresh by the bowlful, of course.

Some of my favorite recipes from last year are Food in Jar’s Strawberry Vanilla Jam, Landry Etc’s Strawberry Preserves, and Strawberry Syrup (we use it to make soda and sweeten iced tea). This season I added some new flavors to the pantry and rotated out the Strawberry Vanilla Jam, but it will likely be back next season.

Strawberry Jam with Grand Marnier is my new favorite. I can’t taste the Grand Marnier specifically (there’s not a lot in the batch), but I can tell it’s there. It enhances the flavor of the strawberries like nothing else. The jam tastes like fresh, bright berries. I’m looking forward to eating it on toast, and layering it in oat bars.

I like to start batches of jam the day before I plan to can them by cutting the fruit and allowing it to macerate with some of the sugar overnight. The task seems more manageable when broken down, and I think the fruit cooks more quickly after the berries are allowed to sit around in some sugar for a day.

It’s been a couple of weeks since we picked berries and I’m ready for more. I didn’t make any syrup or whole preserved berries (we still have a few jars from last season, but I’m not sure they’ll be enough). This is a problem.

GIVEAWAY!

I hope you try this jam recipe, but if you’re not a jam maker or the kitchen is too hot for jam making, I’m giving away an 8oz jar. There are two ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment on this blog post and tell me what you do with fresh-picked strawberries.
2. Follow a house on garland (there’s a button on the sidebar over there) and leave a comment letting me know that you’re following the blog.
3. Leave your comments by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17. I will select the winner via random drawing and announce it on July 18.

Check the extended post for the recipe!

Strawberry Jam with Grand Marnier

makes approximately 3 pints.

8 cups berries (about 2.5 pounds)

5 cups sugar

1 lemon

2 packets liquid pectin

3 T Grand Marnier

1. Wash and quarter the berries and put them in a large mixing bowl with 2 cups of the sugar. Mix them around to distribute the sugar. Place the berries and sugar in a large jar or put plastic wrap over your mixing bowl. Let them macerate in the refrigerator overnight.
2. The next day, your berries should be juicy and ready to make into jam. Fill your canning pot with enough water to cover your jars with 1 – 2” of water. Add your clean jars and bring to a boil. Place lids in a small pan and heat them to a light simmer.
3. Place the berries, the remaining 3 cups of sugar, lemon zest and juice into a large pot. Cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly. The jam should be very syrupy and glossy. Strawberry jam foams A LOT, so boil with care.
4. Add the Grand Marnier (I used 3 tablespoons, but might use 4 next time) and the two packets of pectin. Boil until the jam reaches a good set, about 10 minutes. Skim off the foam with spoon.
5. Pour jam into hot jars, wipe rims, and add lids and rings. Process jars for 10 minutes (15 in Spokane due to elevation).
6. Turn off the heat and allow the jars to sit in the canning pot for 5 minutes. Remove them to a towel-lined counter to cool completely.
7. Check seals and store in a cool, dry place (pop any unsealed jars in the refrigerator). They can be stored for up to a year, though you'll probably want to open a jar right away.