The time for fresh Arkansas strawberries has arrived, and I couldn’t be more ready for it to be here. I really don’t care if I am bragging, I think Arkansas strawberries are absolutely the very best. If you ever have the chance to try them, I believe you will wholeheartedly agree. After I’ve eaten my fill (for the day), I love to find ways to use them in new ways or in old favorites such as this Strawberry-Habanero Jam.
You probably already know that I’m a huge fan of pepper jellies and jams. This one is made pretty much the basic recipe as my Habanero-Peach Jam with Ginger and Cranberry-Habanero Jam. It is such a delicious addition to grilled meats either as a glaze or as a garnish. And when it comes to fresh purple hull peas, I definitely want them topped with this Strawberry-Habanero Jam. Oh my goodness that’s good! Try a little on your ham biscuits or grilled cheese sandwiches and I promise you’ll be just as addicted as I am.
And yes, I really do eat it with crunchy peanut butter on Ritz crackers! I told you I really, really like this stuff!
If habaneros are just too hot for you, try the jam with jalapenos, preferably red ones as I think the green ones might dull the color of the strawberries. Me? I like the heat so I even leave in the pepper membranes and seeds. It seems to offset the sweetness of the jam to me.
If you are familiar with ghost peppers, let me just warn you that since I actually made this with part ghost peppers one time, I suggest that you REALLY LIMIT the number you use. Ghost peppers are raging hot even for me.
Since my habaneros are not yet ready in the garden, I have to purchase them from other markets when making strawberry jam. Occasionally, I have some left in my freezer from last year’s crop. This year, however, I have made tons of pepper jelly and jam to give away as little gifts so I don’t have any of those from our bounty of last summer.
I hope you’ll give this little delight a try and let me know what you think.
- 1 quart fresh strawberries, stemmed
- 7 orange or red habaneros, stems removed*
- 1 large red bell pepper, cored and seeds removed
- 7 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 pouches liquid pectin (I use Certo.)
- Prepare the jars and lids.
- Roughly chop the strawberries; place in a large saucepan.
- Finely chop the habaneros and red bell pepper in a food processor.
- Mix the peppers, sugar and lemon juice into the strawberries; stir well. Add in butter.
- Bring the mixture to a rapid boil, stirring frequently for 10 minutes until mixture is quite thick and sets up on a cold saucer.
- Add in the liquid pectin and bring back to a hard boil for one minute.
- Remove from the heat and skim off the foam, if desired. (Adding the butter keeps the foam away!)
- Pack into sterilized jars and seal.
- Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes; cool completely before storing.
- Check lids for proper seal.
- If you are not accustomed to water bath canning, I suggest you purchase a good guide. I'm a big fan of Ball's canning manuals myself.
- The pamphlet in the box of Certo is a good general guide for making jams and jellies.
- is recipe will make 6 - 8 half pints of jam.
- *If you prefer less heat, stem the peppers and remove the membranes and seeds. We prefer the heat.
- The butter reduces the amount of foam in the jam. It can be omitted if you prefer.
I love Arkansas strawberries and am willing to pay whatever I have to eat them because the season is so short. I wish peppers liked me because this sounds so good. But as i read the recipe, and saw the amount, I decided I might end of in the ER. It hasn’t always been the case, so I’m hoping if I stay away from them long enough, one day I’ll get over the sensitivity to them like my husband did for chocolate. Enjoy them for me!