Robert Wemischner

Yield: approximately 2 pints

Proportionate to the amount of personal satisfaction that you will derive, the amount of work involved is miniscule. Truly, there’s nothing easier than making jam. But you must start with flavorful fruit to yield a flavorful product. When making the jam, be sure that the berries are in impeccable condition, fragrant, firm, and unbruised. Before cooking, hull them and halve them, cutting the monster-sized ones, if any, into quarters. Then proceed.

For the jam:

Note about canning for longer preservation of the jam:

For longer storage, it will be necessary to store the jam in sterilized canning jars, known as Mason jars (the kind with flat round tops with rubber gasket attached and rings that tighten over them to create a vacuum seal) and then boil those jars according to standard canning procedure. Otherwise, keep the jam covered and refrigerated and it will last at least a couple of weeks, time enough to devour it.

27 ounces fresh hulled strawberries, (approximately 2 heaping pint containers) halved (or if very large, quartered)

24 ounces (generous 3-1/2 cups) granulated sugar

1 gram (approximately 1/2 t.) pectin powder (optional) mixed with 1 T. granulated sugar (See Note  below)

Juice of 1 medium sized lemon, sieved

In a heavy saucepan, bring strawberries and sugar to the boil. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved. As the mixture cooks, skim off any foam which rises to the surface. Continue to cook until the mixture drops slowly from a spoon raised above the pot (the mixture should register approximately 230 degrees F. on an instant read thermometer). Add  the fresh lemon juice and stir, bring the mixture to a boil again. If using the pectin powder, add it (mixed into the tablespoon of granulated sugar) to the jam now, stirring vigorously to distribute it throughout the mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil again and then remove from the heat. Spoon into glass jars or other heatproof containers and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.

Note: Using the pectin powder will help to assure that the jam sets but without it, you will yield a somewhat looser jam. No crime in that, though.

Now that the jam is made, what to do with it? What about the following idea?

Sweet and savory come together in one delicious bite in fruit and cheese tartines, loosely translated from the French as open-faced rustic sandwiches.  What’s better for a leisurely weekend breakfast than a few slabs of deeply toasted artisanal bread, smeared with mild soft unripened goat cheese and topped with a generous dollop of the freshly made strawberry jam? To go it one better, for a special treat, if you’re daring, try showering the jam with a hefty slug of coarse freshly ground black pepper and a few drops of good quality balsamic vinegar.

For the tartines:

Serving size: Depending on the size of the bread, figure one to two slices or so per serving

Good fresh artisanal bread
Goat cheese (There are many American-made versions available now. Look for the more widely accessible kinds made in California including Laura Chenel’s Chevre, or if you have a good specialty food or cheese store in your area, seek out Cypress Grove chevres and Soyoung Scanlan’s Andante Dairy products, which are among my favorites, also made in California)
Fresh seasonal strawberry jam

The optional extras:
Freshly ground black pepper
Good quality balsamic vinegar

Buy the best freshest quality artisanal bread (the kind with irregular holes, a good thick crust and a pleasantly yeasty aroma is what I like to use here). Slice it thickly (about 3/4 inch thick) and then toast to a deep golden brown. Slice a few 1/2 inch thick rounds of fresh goat cheese for each serving. Place the cheese on the toasted bread, allowing it to melt a bit. Plate it up and then dollop on the jam (and freshly ground black pepper and balsamic vinegar, if you wish).

Serve immediately with a good cup of Assam or Darjeeeling tea, or freshly brewed coffee.