jammy jams

About a month ago, I was in Perth for a quick holiday.  It was a bit of a weekend thing with my mum, and at a time where it felt like Melbourne's winter would never end - a quick trip to a warmer climate was exactly what I needed.  Pretty high on my list of things to do, was check out Freo Markets.  I'd heard good things and was keen to see if it lived up to the hype.  Believe me,  it did.

It was by pure chance that Jude Blereau, one of my favourite wholefoods chefs was doing a demonstration on making organic produce work for you.  I grabbed a raw smoothie and settled in.  Jude spoke for over an hour on all things delicious, wholefoods and organic, but something that really stuck with me was her suggestions on how to make a bumper harvest work for you.  When you have something in abundance, make the most of the opportunity, and store it for later.  You can do this by stewing fruit, making relishes and chutneys or...making some jam. It's old school, DIY, and reduces wastage - all things I am for.

I picked up a copy of Jude's latest book titled "Coming Home to Eat- Wholefoods for the Family" and it is beautiful.  Whilst it's not all vegan,  a lot of the recipes are, or can easily be adapted.  All of the recipes are nourishing, delicious and fairly simple to prepare.  There is a handy little chapter on preserving the harvest, and that's where I got the inspiration for today's jam - Fresh Strawberry, Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon.
It was my first attempt at jam and I'm not going to lie, at times it was a bit stressful at times but totally worthwhile - my house smells like strawberry lollies and I have 8 beautiful little jars of homemade jam for gifting and toast.

Fresh Strawberry, Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Jam
(adapted slightly from here)

Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

300 grams sugar

1 kilogram strawberries, washed & hulled

2 tablespoons lemon juice

pinch of salt 

Run your knife down the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds.  Add with the pod to the washed and hulled strawberries and sugar. Add lemon juice and cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Roughly chop the strawberries up a bit, but leave some large chunks. Put on a medium heat to bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for about 10 minutes. Using a ladle remove the white scum from the top and leave to cool. Place in sterilized jars and store in the refrigerator.

super cute huh?