Homemade Strawberry Jam

On Monday, I went out to Quiapo to search for my favorite seasonal fruit - strawberries. Yes it's the season again!

I personally like the locally grown one as opposed to the one they sell in the super market all year long because those in the supermarkets are unusually huge in my opinion, flavorless and filled with water. To me they are mutant strawberries that I don't dare to buy. Because of that I just patiently wait for this time of the year to have my strawberry fix.

In this weather, fruits are easy to ripen. Strawberries are notorious for ripening fast so I had to think of a quick plan to dispose them easily in my stomach :). And so the idea of a strawberry jam came to my mind.

Nothing beats homemade jam. Unlike buying it already processed, you control exactly what you put in there. The quality of the strawberries, the amount, the sweetness, chunkiness or creaminess. Here's a simple recipe to get you started with your very own strawberry jam.

Serving : 1 small canister.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup mashed strawberries (it's about 30 pieces small ripe strawberries)
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- some powdered cinnamon (optional)
- small sterilized canister for storage.

1. Wash strawberries thoroughly. Remove the crown and the overripe parts and mash it in a bowl with fork. If you are lazy like me, use food processor. Make 1 cup.
2. Pour 1 cup mashed strawberries, 1 cup white sugar and 2tbsp of lemon juice in a saucepan. Stir together in low heat until boiling. Continue stirring until you get thick consistency.
3. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder for a little twist.
4. Transfer it to your sterilized canister. This should be good for a week in refrigeration.

Note: I reduced my sugar to 3/4 cup because I don't really like it super sweet. But in general, the ratio of the mixture is 1:1, so if you want to make more jam just double the recipe.