So, I had these jars of jam and preserves I wanted to take pictures of, but I was torn on how to photograph them. This is take 1 of 3 (see takes 2 and 3 here and here, respectively). I think I actually like this photo the best of the lot, taken on its own, but I both like and don’t like how it echos the photo I took of the strawberries it’s made from, right down to the lens flare.
The preserves pictured here are strawberry-port wine preserves. This recipe made a little more than 3 pints (6 8oz. jars).
Strawberry-Port Wine Preserves
Ingredients
5 cups of strawberries, hulled and halved
6 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. lemon zest
4 tbl. lemon juice
2 tbl. water
1 1/2 c. port wine
1.75 oz. package powdered fruit pectin
Directions
Reduce port wine to 1 c. in a medium saucepan. Allow to cool, and add 2 tbl. lemon juice.
In a large stainless steel pan, combine berries, sugar, lemon zest, 2 tbl. lemon juice, and water, stir well, and let sit at room temperature for 4 hours, stirring once an hour.
If you intend to can the preserves, prepare canner and 6 8 oz. jars and lids.
Bring the berry mixture to a hard boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk pectin into wine until dissolved, then bring wine to a hard boil for 1 minute, whisking the whole time. Add immediately to hot berry mixture, and stir well for 3 minutes to distribute the pectin.
If canning, ladle the preserves into the prepared jars, leaving 1/4″ head space. Clean rims, and attach lids, screwing down the rings to finger-tight. Process in boiling water for 10 minutes, then remove lid from canner and let sit for 5 minutes in the hot water. Remove from the water bath and allow to cool to room temperature before handling. Check to be sure you’ve gotten a good seal; jars with failed seals should go into the fridge.
If not canning, transfer preserves to storage container and store in the refrigerator.
