Apulian strawberry jam

All the flavor of homemade strawberry jam

Strawberry jam is one of the most beloved traditional Apulian recipes, enjoyed by both young and old alike. If you leaf through the books and notes found in some grandparents' houses, you might come across a little sheet of paper with notes for a very specific preparation: "Strawberry Jam Recipe," the title will probably read, handwritten years and years ago by someone in the family.

Well, today La Terra di Puglia chooses to embrace that traditional recipe and make it for you. The resulting strawberry jam is intense, flavorful, neither too sweet nor not sweet enough—perfectly balanced and very, very versatile. You often hear about the "Brix Scale" these days, referring to the measurement of sugars in a food preparation. We won't delve into the technicalities here, but rest assured, this is the strawberry jam that will leave no doubts. So much so that you'll want to stock up on it for your pantry.

How to make strawberry jam? Leave it to us! How to make strawberry jam? You’ve probably asked yourself this question many times. You will need fresh strawberries, an organic lemon, sugar, and a bit of patience. Making desserts, snacks, cakes, and homemade pastries is a true pleasure. But often, there's just no time. If you don’t have the time, don’t feel like consulting countless strawberry jam recipes, or simply don’t feel very confident in the kitchen, you can confidently purchase the product on this page. We prepare it with the same care and love that you would.

Lots of fresh strawberries, rigorously grown and handpicked one by one by Apulian farmers, go into making a delicious and healthy jam that’s perfect for breakfast or snack time for the whole family. You can enjoy it with bread or toast, or use it to prepare homemade desserts such as shortcrust pastries, tarts, or even cakes.

Two ideas for using our strawberry jam 1 - Cake with strawberry jam

Ingredients:

• 250 g of all-purpose flour
• 100 g of sugar
• 3 eggs
• 100 ml of milk
• 100 ml of vegetable oil
• 1 packet of baking powder (about 16 g)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)
• A pinch of salt
• 200 g of strawberry jam
• Powdered sugar for decoration (optional)

Method:

Preparation of the batter:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease and flour a 24 cm diameter cake tin.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step is essential to incorporate air into the batter, which will help it rise.
Gradually add the vegetable oil and milk while continuing to stir. If you prefer, you can substitute the oil with melted butter for a richer flavor.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, and then gradually add them to the egg mixture, gently folding it in with a spatula or wooden spoon to avoid deflating the batter.
Add the vanilla extract if you want an extra touch of flavor.

Assembling the cake:
Pour half of the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing it with a spatula.
Evenly spread the strawberry jam over the batter. To prevent the jam from sinking too much during baking, you can mix it with a tablespoon of flour before adding it.
Cover with the remaining half of the batter, carefully smoothing it out again.

Baking:
Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
If the surface of the cake starts to brown too quickly, cover it with a sheet of aluminum foil halfway through the baking time.

Cooling and decorating:
Once baked, remove the cake with strawberry jam from the oven and let it cool in the tin for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Before serving, dust with powdered sugar for a decorative final touch.

Tips:
You can enrich your strawberry jam cake batter with grated lemon zest for a fresh, citrusy aroma.
If you prefer, you can use other jams, such as apricot or raspberry.

2 - Strawberry jam tart

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

• 300 g of all-purpose flour
• 150 g of cold butter
• 100 g of granulated sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 whole egg
• Grated zest of one untreated lemon
• A pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 300 g of strawberry jam

Method:

Preparing the shortcrust pastry:
In a large bowl, sift the flour and make a well in the center.
Add the cold butter, cut into cubes, and begin working it into the flour with your fingertips until you get a crumbly texture.
Add the sugar, egg yolks, whole egg, grated lemon zest, and a pinch of salt.
Quickly knead until you have a smooth and homogeneous dough.
Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Assembling the tart:
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Take the shortcrust pastry out of the fridge and divide it into two parts, one slightly larger than the other.
Roll out the larger portion on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3-4 mm.
Line a greased and floured tart tin (24-26 cm diameter) with the pastry. Trim off any excess pastry from the edges.
Prick the base of the pastry with a fork to prevent it from puffing up during baking.
Spread the strawberry jam evenly over the base.

Decorating the tart:
Roll out the remaining pastry and cut strips about 1-2 cm wide.
Arrange the strips over the strawberry jam in a crisscross pattern to form a lattice design.

Baking:
Bake the strawberry jam tart in the preheated oven at 180°C for about 35-40 minutes, or until the shortcrust pastry is golden.
Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool completely before taking it out of the tin.

Tips:
You can substitute strawberry jam with any other jam or preserve, such as berries, orange, citrus fruits, sour cherries, or grape jam, according to your taste.
For extra flavor, you can add a hint of vanilla to the shortcrust pastry.
The strawberry jam tart can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days, covered with a clean cloth.