Homemade jam is better than anything you can find in a store. It's great on everything from toast to a topping on ice cream. Today's Strawberry Jam with Thai Herbs recipe is a little different than your traditional jam. It features strawberries with fresh herbs; cilantro, lemon basil, and chocolate mint.
We swapped the refined sugars for honey in this Strawberry Jam. The result is a naturally sweet jam with a lower glycemic index. We've also swapped the packaged pectin for apples, a natural source of pectin. A finely chopped apple is added for its natural pectin to thicken this jam.
This recipe was modified from a recipe I found in Canning For a New Generation: Bold, Fresh Flavors for the Modern Pantry by Liana Krissoff. It ‘s a great book for anyone wanting creative canning recipes or how to information. (This isn't a sponsored post. I just like the book and have it on my book shelf.)
The herbs cilantro, basil, and chocolate mint are added to this Strawberry Jam for a unique flavor. It's really good and quite unexpected. The herbs bring out the strawberry flavors. If you're not quite so adventurous, you can omit the herbs and have a wonderful traditional strawberry jam. Either way, you'll want to have this jam on hand year around.
Strawberry Jam with Thai Herbs
Ingredients
- 3 pounds strawberries, hulls removed
- 1 cup honey
- Juice from 1 lemon
- 1 apple, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh lemon basil
- 1 Tablespoon minced fresh chocolate mint
Instructions
- Place strawberries and honey in a large stockpot. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove from heat and pour strawberries into a colander set over a large bowl. Drain off the juice from the strawberries.
- Return the juice to the stockpot. Add chopped apple and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring often, until syrup is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
- Return strawberries and any extra juice to the pot, along with lemon juice. Bring to a simmer.Stirring often, simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and add herbs.
- Process jam as 4 half pint jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes or store in the refrigerator or freezer.
How will you enjoy this jam?
Try it on a soft pretzel, bowl of ice cream, slice of homemade bread, or mixed in plain yogurt.
I love homemade jam!! Of course, we always made it the regular way but I have a friend that makes it with no added sugar and hers is great. Pinning.
I’m always afraid to go too far off a recipe with canning. I’m afraid I’ll make everyone sick. In my freezer jam, I often don’t use sugar. Thanks for the pin Lucy.
Never thought about herbs like that in it. Will try!
Thanks Jenne.