The keen reader will know of my famous strawberry and lavender gin. Well this strawberry gin jam is the byproduct of then lovely liqueur. I use the gin soaked strawberries to make something special to spread on my toast in the morning.
strawberry gin jam
It’s September and according to the radio this means summer is officially over. ‘What summer?’ is the cry from us folks in Scotland as the weather here has been patchy to say the least.
I can’t bear the thought of losing summer and want to cling on to it as long as possible. This delightful Strawberry Gin Jam is one way to do this.
Strawberry Gin
As I said, this jam is a byproduct of my strawberry gin recipe from my first book So Easy Herbal and it has been a bit of a star for me. It was the first recipe I did on TV on The Hour, has been featured in magazines and has been demonstrated at many a food theatre event. In fact I was making it every day at the Edinburgh Foodies Festival this summer.
Using gin soaked strawberries
Never one to let anything go to waste I like to use up those somewhat faded gin soaked strawberries after making the gorgeously flavoured gin. I like to kid myself that I am being virtuous and thrifty when in reality I am just wringing out the last remnants of gin.
I’ve served them up with ice-cream in a very adult summer sundae and whazzed them into a boozy sorbet. But by far my real favourite way to use them up is to make this wonderful strawberry gin jam that means I can enjoy that boozy berry taste for months to come.
What are the ingredients for this strawberry gin jam?
Because the strawberries have also soaked up a fair bit of sugar along with that all-important gin I use a little less than the standard 50/50 fruit to sugar ratio in this recipe. I also add 50% fresh strawberries to the gin soaked ones so that there is more body and a bit less of the bitter gin flavour to the jam. If you want to go heavier on the booze front then just use less fresh berries.
The only other ingredient here is lemon juice.
How to make strawberry gin jam
I had 300g of gin soaked strawberries so added another 300g of chopped fresh berries. Then added 400g of sugar and the juice from half a lemon to a pan and slowly brought it to a rolling boil. Now I just had to keep it bubbling till it reached that magical setting point and then ladled it into sterilised jars.
Substitutions
But what if you haven’t made any strawberry and lavender gin (shame on you!) you can get a similar effect with this jam by chopping up 1 kilo of strawberries and pouring over 150ml gin and leaving them overnight. Use 1 kilo of sugar and juice and zest of a lemon and boil up as per this recipe.
Want more jam making tips?
If you are new to jam making then do read my articles on Easy Jam Making and How to sterilise jars. These will soon set you on the right track to perfecting your preserves. If you need some preserving kit then check out my list of Useful Preserving Kit as well.
How to serve strawberry gin jam
Serve your jam on toast for a hair-of-the-dog style breakfast treat, with scones and cream for a tea-time treat. Better still, why not make a fun sundae with Greek yogurt, strawberry gin jam, a few fresh berries and some crushed toasted nuts.
Looking for more fun and easy strawberry recipes? Then check these out;
Strawberry and Elderflower Jam
Strawberry and Salmon Salad with Spinach and Walnuts
Strawberry Sage and Red Wine Jam
Finally, if you do try this super easy strawberry gin jam recipe then do leave a comment/rating below. I love hearing from readers and respond to everyone just as soon as I can. Want more Larder Love, then follow me on Facebook and Instagram and sign up for my free weekly newsletter too.
Strawberry Gin Jam
Ingredients
- 300 g gin soaked strawberries from making strawberry and lavender gin
- 300 g fresh strawberries
- 400 g granulated sugar
- juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Hull and chop the fresh strawberries and add these along with the gin soaked berries into a heavy based pan.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice and slowly bring to the boil.
- Boil for approximately 15 minutes until it has reached the setting point (220C of when a teaspoonful on a chilled saucer creases when you drag a finger through it)
- Ladle into sterilised jars and pop on the lids.
Notes
PIN ME FOR LATER
Do you mean 220F? I almost burned mine because I was using a thermometer.
Sorry Valerie
All my recipe temperatures are in celcius so it is 220C. So sorry for any confusion
K x
Hi Karon,
How long will this jam keep if put in sterile jars? I want to make it for Christmas presents but strawberries are at their best now (in august). Will it store ok for that long or does it need to be fridged?
Kind regards
Kate
Hi Kate
This will easily keep till long after Christmas, just follow steps for sterilising jars etc
K x
Hello Karon
I would love to make the gin jam but do I need to make the lavender gin first or can I use everyday gin?
Look forward to your reply.
thank you
Diane 🙂
yes because you need those gin soaked strawberries. Normal gin wouldn’t taste the same but it would work just as strawberry jam with a bit of gin flavour. The gin soaked strawberries really pack a punch.
Thank you Karon will definitely give it a go. Diane 🙂
Hi Karon. The recipe for strawberry gin jam calls for gin soaked strawberries from making strawberry and lavender gin. For strawberry gin jam is it then 300gm plain and 300gm soaked in gin.
Yes it states that clearly in the recipe print out at the bottom
K
Thanks for this name twin
Your recipe for strawberry gin jam sounds amazing. Could I use your recipe substituting blueberries or raspberries which I have used to make raspberry gin and blueberry gin
Hi Pam
Yes of course you can. I do the same with my rhubarb and ginger gin, just keep the gin soaked fruit and make jam with it. Never let good gin soaked fruit go to waste when you can have it on your toast in the morning!
K x