Strawberry Preserves

• Preserves contain whole fruits suspended within their own gelling agent. Fresh ,whole strawberries are placed in a deep pan and sprinkled with preserving sugar. This mixture is left for 24 hours or until the strawberries have absorbed the sugar, ensuring the fruit will not fall apart during the fast boiling process. The pan is placed over low heat to dissolve any remaining sugar. Then, the strawberries are boiled in water or lemon juice until the mixture achieves a jelly-like consistency. Boiling the strawberries releases pectin, a natural gelling agent. The hot preserve is then left to cool and butter is added to remove any film that may have formed over the top of the mixture. After the strawberry preserve cools, it is funneled into jars and sealed.
  
  

Strawberry Jam

• Jams, as opposed to preserves, contain chopped or crushed fruit in a pectin jelly. Strawberries are washed, drained and chopped before simmering on the stovetop for an hour in lemon juice or water. Sugar is added, and the mixture is heated to 220 degrees. Once the jam has reached the "settling point," or a jelly-like consistency, any scum is skimmed from the top of the mixture, and the jam is poured into jars and sealed.
  
  

When to Use

• The choice between jam or preserve essentially comes down to personal taste. Jams have a smoother consistency while preserves will contain whole strawberries and generally have a stronger flavor, as they require less boiling. For cake-making strawberry jam is perhaps the better choice, as it can be smoothed down to lay between sponge halves or as a sweet topping, although this should be spread over a buttercream base.
  
  

What to Avoid

• The vast majority of jams sold at major retail outlets will contain preservatives alongside the main ingredients of strawberries, lemon juice, sugar and butter. While these can still be tasty, the healthiest and most flavorful strawberry jams or preserves will use only these few key ingredients.