Whoa, you guys… whoa. I thought we were friends. Why didn’t anyone tell me we were all wearing slimming shapewear now? You know… those Spanx-y, waist cinch-y, butt lift-y, tummy slimming undergarments. Why didn’t you tell me!? This is on par with not telling me that I have lipstick on my chin, spinach in my teeth, and naturally that… my fly is down.
I’ve been marveling at your tiny waists and tucked in bellies. Seriously. You’re looking completely major. I actually just wondered how you hold your breath for so long. I know how to suck and tuck it in… but come on… I have my moments when I actually have to breathe.
Can we just… can we stay on the same page? If you’re in awesome Spanx-y, cinch-y land… can you just let me know? Don’t leave a good girl behind.
Since everyone is wearing shapewear and not telling be about it, I made a simple and earnest quick jam. Ok… so the two things have nothing at all to do with one another. I was just trying to lay a guilt trip on you.
This is a quick jam because it hasn’t gone through the traditional canning process. The process that involves boiling fruit and glass? Yea… I didn’t do that.
There is a wonderfully lovely blog that specializes in boiling fruit and glass called Food in Jars.
Maybe I’ll get into canning one day. Intellectually I understand the benefits. Boiling glass makes me nervous… there, I said it.
Fresh raspberries and strawberries to start.
If you feel like these are too pretty to boil, just nip a few from the colander to snack on. I promise that these are jam worthy.
Give the strawberries a good hull.
Off with their heads.
\
Quick jam guest stars include fresh lemon juice (the acid is key to offset the sweet), granulated sugar, and vanilla bean.
If you don’t have a vanilla bean on hand, this recipe is still dang fine without one. You can add just a dash of pure vanilla extract after the mixture is boiled and reduced.
Early jam boiling.
The raspberries will break down far faster than the strawberries. Yea… this is a seedy situation. It’s character building.
I love to throw the vanilla bean pod into the boiling fruit. Extra vanilla flavor just adds another layer of flavor. Supreme!
This wooden spoon gets a good amount of action.
Let me give you the skinny on this quick jam. It’s somewhere in between a jam and a fruit sauce. It’s certainly not the same consistency of a store-bought jam. Let’s be real… it’s sexier, for sure. I love how satisfyingly fast this recipe is. Add 15 minutes to the amount of time it takes you to wash and slice berries… and you’re in business. Because this jam is not thoroughly preserved, it has a much shorter shelf life than traditionally canned jam. This quick jam lasts about 10 days. That only means that this jam needs to go on absolutely everything: morning yogurt and granola, open-face peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and ice cream sundaes. It’s also rather delicious by the spoonful.
I hope you love it because I love you. Let’s not make this weird…
Strawberry Raspberry Vanilla Quick Jam
makes about 1 1/2 cups jam
adapted from Martha Stewart
1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced thickly
1/2 pound fresh raspberries (just over 1 cup of berries)
vanilla bean scraped of its seeds, pod reserved
1/2 cup granulated sugar
juice of 1 lemon
Place strawberries, raspberries, vanilla bean scrapings, and vanilla bean pod in a medium saucepan. Add sugar and lemon juice. Place over medium heat and stir occasionally. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until fruit has broken down and liquid has thickened. This jam won’t thicken like a store-bought jarred jam. It will be a loose jam that will thicken slightly as it cools in the fridge. The consistency of this jam is somewhere in between a thick jam and a fruit syrup.
Once jam has thickened, remove from heat and place in one large or two small jars. Cover and place in the refrigerator to cool completely. Jam will last up to 10 days covered and sealed in the refrigerator.
Mel
I’m making this right now. And my house smells amazing!
Chaitanya
oooohhhh!!! gorgeousness in a jar…Joy that looks so yummy and I love your pictures, somehow my camera manages botch my every attempt at photography…this jam reminds me of the spiced plum quick jam I made sometime ago…it was tangy sweetness on a croissant…warms the cockles of my heart just thinking about it. Just like your name, you spread joy with your lovely words and amazing food. Love you…muahhh
Jenny @ Stuff I Love
Hi Joy,
I just made this and it’s delicious, but I’m curious about the lemon juice. What exactly does it do? If its only purpose is to offset the sweetness, then wouldn’t the healthier option be to just reduce the sugar? I kept on tasting and sniffing after I added the lemon but I couldn’t really decipher it. Can you share some insight into this? By the way, I made the same strawberry and raspberry jam last week but with rosewater (same process and ingredients, but just a dash of rosewater at the very end), and it’s incredible. I highly recommend it.
Cheers,
Jenny
Roberta @ ArtcyLucy
Oh, this reminds me of the fresh jam we had every morning in Ireland! Not the consistency of our usual jar jam, but OH so flavorful! I will try this version soon! Thanks for the recipe…and as always, your photos are amazing!
Leigh
Great recipe. Also I love your font. Enjoy your day.
Mr Breakfast
I’m anxious to try this. I’m thinking it’d be an awesome topping for pancakes, waffles and French Toast… with maybe a little dollop of homemade whipped cream as the finishing touch. Thanks Joy!
abigail
Jams in jars are better than stars, there always gone by dawn. There sweet, sweeter, than birds tweet. I feel their taken for granted, except when they are wanted , but only on toast but is that really the most?
TiffanyNicole
Vanilla RasCherryBerry Quik Jam. (Made with lavender sugar.) Joy, you are my inspiration!
TiffanyNIcole
I just made Ras-Cherry-Berry Vanilla Quick jam with Lavender Sugar. Joy, you are my inspiration!
Kelly
I’m still behind on the Spanx movement, but TOTALLY with you on the jam : ) xx
Seanna Lea
This looks completely stunning. I will have to make this the next time I buy the fruit (well, after the fig apricot pie I pinned, which truly has my name all over it).
lizaanne
I love the sucky inny things!!! I don’t wear them all the time mind you, but if I need to smooth out the bumps to get into a nice dress for a wedding or something, they are the ticket to bumplessness. Also pencil skirts – love them under pencil skirts.
Jam!!! I made vanilla blueberry freezer jam a few weeks ago. I love to take it to my daddy when I visit him, he just LOVES it! I wait every summer for the half flats of the pretty blueness to come to the grocery store so I can jam it up.
Your recipe sound amazing, and so simple!!! I may need to try that this weekend.
Oh! And do not fear the glass – it’s soooo super easy, I’ve done it a ton of times, and you willl be amazed at the whole new world of yumminess it will open up for you. Be brave!!!
inthia
i ended up making this with added blackberries and it’s simply wonderful. thank you soooo much!
Sam
I’ve been searching for the perfect jam recipe, and this looks like the top contender of the bunch! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Kendra
Spanx are horribly uncomfortable- I wore it once in my sisters wedding and NEVER will again. I’m more afraid of botulism than boiling glass. I bought everything to can with 2 years ago and still haven’t had the nerve to try.
Carly
ahhhh! just say no to spanx. yes to jam, though. always.
Cats and Florals
Amazing recipe.
(Oh and I’ve never worn Spanx in my life!)
Kelly
This looks amazing!!
Riley
Looks absolutely delicious!
Andria
Joy – you are more than amazing, and this might be my next adventure. But 10 days seems so sad to me, could i freeze it and extend it or does that ruin the whole strawberry jam-iness of it all?
Also spanx are fantastic but I agree with Shalan, and there is just nothing sexy about disrobing in front of a guy and having to literally peel the spanx down like you are a giant banana. So Spanx are great for those dates where either there are no sexy times happening OR you get to disrobe/unpeel in a different room.
Maggie @ A Bitchin' Kitchen
Ahh Spanx. A blessing and a curse.
As someone who harbors a fear of canning, this quick jam looks excellent!
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com
No comments on the “spanx” but love that quick jam. I’m a quick jammin’ person, love this recipe :)
Sarah
monkey see monkey do.
monkey saw and monkey did.
I have NO idea who the monkey is… but that was some yummy jam.
especially on banana nut breakfast muffins.
shalan @ the long road
Dude – I just can’t get on board with the shape-wear epidemic. When my husband unzips the back of my dress at the end of the night the last thing I want him to see is a body suit underneath, ha. I’ll just work on my crunches.
Also, this quick jam is my new jam. Does that make sense? Love it.
xo,
shalan
Leslie
Love your pretty sketched place setting as well as the jammin jam!
Erika
Okay. I’ll say it. That jam looks freaking amazing. I’m going to make it, and I may not share it. Ha! I can’t wait.
P.S. Joy, thanks for such wonderful blog posts, recipes and podcasts. They brighten my day!
Grubarazzi (@Grubarazzi)
What a lovely, boil-free jam. Seriously though… my jam never lasts that long. I’m with you.
Tara @ Musical Soup Eaters
This looks great. I am planning to make homemade versions of foods I normally buy, so homemade jam will need to go on the list. I like the inclusion of the word “quick” in the title.
Annie @ Annie's City Kitchen
Thank you, thank you, thank you for making a jam without the canning! I’ve been interested in canning for a while but I’m too chicken to try it. This looks like a perfect novice jam and it’s deeffinitely going on my oatmeal!
Kasey @ The Wit of the Staircase
Um… yum.
Also, I wish people would have told me about spanx earlier too. I’ll cheat. I’ll say it right now. I’LL DO IT. Just… can someone help me get into the darned things?
Have a great, week, Joy!
megan @ whatmegansmaking
ha, I feel the same way about canning. I should do it, but it makes me so nervous! This, however, this I can do :)
Ine @ Honey, are you eating enough vegetables?
I think I just had a tiny food-gasm! whahahha!
Jessie
Yum! Spanx?! I don’t think I know anyone who wears them. My mom recently tried to get me to buy some to hold in my very floppy post baby belly (how’s that for real?) I said, no way, who am I trying to impress? The kids? It’s hot freakin’ Texas…I’m not adding another layer…hand me a baggy shirt & we’ll call it good. ;)
Ashley
Gah, anyone who’s ever spent a normal work day in sucker-inner things (still how I mentally refer to them) will agree that the obvious solution is just to BUY LOOSER CLOTHES. Sorry, sexy body-con dress.
anna
gorgeous! i am trying to figure out how to make something similar to this but with crab apples. but all i find on the internets is glass boiling! which also scares me. i will just have to keep looking. also? i totally don’t wear shapewear so i guess i am in the club.
jayne
I’ve done this so many times before and can’t remember any time when i didn’t love it. Thanks for the reminder, Joy. Will make it soon, just for fun. and shapewear.. how does one breathe with those?!?
Stacy @ Say It With Sprinkles
Who wants to spend hours boiling glass jars and slaving over a hot stove in the summer when there is so much yummy fruit to enjoy ASAP anyway?! Perfect!
Rachel
SO with you on the spanx!!!
Sophie @ Happyspinach
By Joe, this looks good! I’m a vanilla addict, and I love the thought of adding it to jam. On the topic of vanilla, I just started making homemade vanilla extract; I can’t wait to see how it turns out!!
Nicole @ the Dirty oven
Oh my! With some goat cheese, toast and a cup of coffee just a dream! Of course without the nasty spanx a girl as got to breath. Plus sucking it in the natural way build up the core muscles… at least that is what my “Restore the Core” instructor told me this morning.
joythebaker
aaah! i love you i do!
katie
looks yummy…of course, for dinner tonight, i made brown sugar bacon waffles and this could have gone with it…except i did canning with jars and all this morning for an hour, so i had nectarine vanilla butter on mine:),,,it is easy once you get over your fear of sterilizing and pectin…really…
Stephie @ Eat Your Heart Out
Girl, I am SO with you on the boiling glass thing. That’s the main reason I steer clear of canning. I did, however, grow up making freezer jam with my momma every summer. That is what quick jams always remind me of =)
this is great, so lovely!
vanessalillian
Spanx are definitely for special occasions only. Mind you, I found one of my nanna’s old girdles a while back and, after taking a running leap to dive into it, it gave me an amazing shape. Pity that I couldn’t breathe and that some of me oozed out above it!
Not wearing Spanx = more room for food. That is all.
Ellen
Quick jam, I like. Thank you for not trying to convince me to try canning or jarring cause it’s just so simple and I only need to buy jars and tongs and a gajillion things I can only use buy really it’s so easy! Oops, not sure why I got sarcastic.
Anyway, this looks lovely and doable.
Ps I just say no to spanx.
Ann P.
oh my goodness is that a glob of clotted cream underneath that jam? breakfast’s most perfect combination!! LOVE!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
I want to put this jam on everything! :) Looks delightful. And yeah, spanx are everywhere!
Susan
Bought a pair of Spanx once. Partly to hold things in a little and partly to avoid chafing between the thighs when I was wearing a skirt or dress. (Nothing I do can keep that from happening…)
Hated hated the feeling of the Spanx though. I like to breathe and want room for expansion (a little) when I eat. They always seemed to make me hotter than normal too.
The answer – jockey skimmies. Like breathable little shorts you wear like a slip. Wonderfully comfortable. Not hot. Love them!
The consistency of the jam makes me think about Sarabeth’s jams, which are a favorite in our home. I stock up any time I come across them at our local HomeGoods. (Actually it’s the only reason I ever stop at HomeGoods… to see if they have the jam!)
Julia
I love that I just made a “quick jam” yesterday morning for breakfast with blueberries. It turned out amazing. No 10 days needed in our house, we finished it over frozen yogurt last night.
Shut Up & Cook
Ha. I’ve been feeling the same way lately. So much so that I have resumed my most dreaded activity: running. Running where I move slower than a grandmother, while sweating like a maniac, cursing all those around me, and fantasizing about Usher someday arriving on my doorstep to sing me a personalized version of Oh My Gosh. Someday. In the meantime…it’s back to the stupid running..and apparently now Jam making. Quite sure I prefer the latter!
Meg H.
While admittedly I own a pair of spanx, they are solely for dress-up when I need to look “smooth” in my hot dress. Otherwise, putting on and taking off is quite the act in and of itself! And Joy, don’t be afraid of boiling jars. Trust me, once you do, you won’t be able to stop. This summer I’ve “put up” ten types of jam, salsa, tomato sauce, pickles, pickled asparagus, and pepper jelly. That boiling water and the “ping” somehow relax me on a crazy day. (and made your waffles on Sunday – scarfed up by my ravenous family!)
Elise @YumFoodieFoodie
you are awesome you are awesome you are awesome, i can’t wait to make this and moooooow down.
p.s. spanx are actually kind of comfy- the non-scary-hold-you-in-so-tight type. :P
Jessica
So great! I was looking for a new cheesecake topper and this will be perfect! :) Thanks!
Kristi @ 30 Pounds of Apples
I feel like shapewear wearers need to be publicly identified on magazine covers. Like “Warning, you will never actually look anything like this wearing this dress because the model is wearing spandex all over and is probably photoshopped into oblivion”. Oh, and strawberry raspberry vanilla? Miracle of miracles. Sounds like it would make a dreamy yogurt mix-in as well.
tracy
so many fun angles in the first shot.
also love the sharpness of the strawberry seeds.
jam fo’ life.
Suzanne
My grandmother cans without boiling the jars. You just have to make sure what your canning is still very hot and dip the bottom of the metal lid in hot water right before you screw the lid on. Leave them on the counter and listen for them to seal, you will hear a pop. My grandmother does fig preserves this way every year and they almost always seal.
Gena@BakeAllTheThings!
Yummmmmmmmmmmmm!!
I make jam in my breadmaker, but this sounds FANTASTIC too!!
Claudia from Idiot's Kitchen
More jam. Less spanx. I think you can freeze this jam too.
Rocky Mountain Woman
I am in the middle of making jelly, but this one is next on the list!
Love the vanilla angle….
Lauren V.
Spanx and toast with butter and jam are two of my favorite things! Have always wanted to try making my own jam, but am intimidated by canning supplies, etc. This looks like a great recipe to start with!
Margherita
How come you always got the best looking raspberries? I love the touch of vanilla in this jam, I’ll to try it!
Diane, A Broad
Those berries look like perfect happiness. PS: have you tried hulling strawberries with a plastic straw? Just poke it in from the pointy part and the green bit just pops right off!
cheyenne
good thing i just scraped the last bit of jam out of the jar!
looks delicious (:
xo, cheyenne
Stoich91
Let’s not make this weird! Bahaha! ;D Vanilla and sugar and fruit should be happening all over America…much better than Spanx. I mean, idk what Spanx is even about, because I thought the Victorian era where we all shove ourselves into diaphragm-crushing, lung busting gear was all over with. lol
Shelley Nibberich
Where can I find your placemats in the photo?
joythebaker
i believe i got them at anthropologie. they’re paper.
cindy
oh, spanx…I love and hate you….but jam, I just love. way to be with that vanilla bean!
Louisa
Strawberry jam is the epitome of summer :) and adding raspberries sounds so good!
I’ve never worn shapewear, and I hope I never will…it sounds so uncomfortable and tight!
Kim A
Could you substitute fresh cherries for the raspberries? Not a huge fan of raspberries.
joythebaker
cherries would be a dream!! go for it!
Kenzie
I love that you only used 1/2 cup of sugar. Some jams are so dang sweet, I swear they’re more sugar than fruit! Berries are definitely sweet enough to not be bombarded with a pound of sugar :) Looks so pretty!
Katie @ Oh Shine On
spandex under clothes? naht totally my thing. embrace your beauty and that body of yours and have everyone else be jealous of your homemade jam. i like that plan better, don’t you?
Lynne @ 365 Days of Baking
Hmmm…know about Spanx when Oprah talked about them years ago and not feeling that I’m with the “in” crowd because I have yet to use them. As I sit here procrastinating to take my daily run, those things are sounding really, really good to me right now!!
*sigh* But in the long run, it’s just an excuse for me to put off exercise…off I go!
The jam sounds delicious, Joy. I’ve been looking for a jam recipe that doesn’t involve me buying mason jars and a large pot to boil them in. I’m with you, the thought of boiling those things makes me uneasy (even though I watched Grandma do it all the time).
Have a great week, girl!
Marie
Hmmm looks delicious! Love strawberry with vanilla!
Diana
This is one of my favorite ways to make jam. It’s quick, simple and always delicious!
mimi
Oh Joy! I own a couple pairs of Spanx, but only wear them for very special occasions under something very tight fitting. Otherwise, I just go free :) And this jam sounds delicious!
Susan K
Joy, your posts are hilarious. Maybe it’s a west coast thing, because girls out here are still mostly wearing bikinis. Spanx is for the red carpet, but the beach is for throwing away your inhibitions. I just wear that smallest bikini that I can and I work what my mama gave me. Confidence is the most attractive asset.
joythebaker
you know it!
Averie @ Averie Cooks
I love jam, especially strawberry! And especially when it’s infused with vanilla and QUICK to make!
TheresaSea
Gosh, that would be AMAZERING on some waffles…in the pretty crevices from the iron…. *insert Homer Simpson drool noise*
Bakerkat
At least we’re not alone. Yummy Summer food
Lynn
I have arrived at the ‘shapewearing phase’ of life…sigh. I do use them occassionally but will tell you that I once wore Spanxy tights to a more formal event…I threw out my shoulder (really, I did) trying to get them on! Not worth it! Meanwhile, I’ll be making this jelly! TY
DH
Yea, I didn’t know about the shapewear either. And now that I do know- still, no thanks.
You can make this jam with honey too, and then it does set properly. And honey is way more nutricious (and tastier) than sugar. But you do have to boil it awhile to evaporate the water in the fruit and add more honey. Not great on measurements, sorry- I just wing it when it comes to making jam. It’s always delicious, even if sometimes it’s too runny or too solid!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
suuuuper easy! You’re the best!
Lauren at Keep It Sweet
I actually hate wearing spanx… just so uncomfortable!
But love the jam!
The Savory and The Beautiful
Joy,
You’re not alone chica. I just realized that many of my friends wear them too. I was like why everyone look soooo darn smooth?!?! I just got one this summer. Oh and it could only happen to me…went to a BBQ and a fan blew up my dress and well now everyone knows I wear one too.
bunnymama
I could use a good cinching in, I’ll tell ya! Two babies have done a number on my figure. But, Joy, wait! Did you know they make shapewear for MEN too?!?!! It’s a disturbing thought, I know, but I like to hope that none of them are actually running around out there in Man-Spanx.
xo
p.s. awesome jam, lady.
Hilary
Dude! What now? When did this happen? Admittedly, there is some major gym-time happening when it’s too rainy to get outside, but that’s only because I’m intimated by the Olympics abs-fest that is on my tv screen daily. Unlike those awesome ladies, I won’t be rocking a stomach-exposing tank top anytime soon, but that still doesn’t mean it’s time for the spanx. Nope, no spanx here.
j3nn
The best of both berries! Sounds delightful with the vanilla in it.
I have zero sense of fashion, so I don’t even notice people are wearing trendy stuff… so don’t feel too bad. :D
akinaj
I’ve made jam before but never boiled the glasses. All you really need to do to preserve it is use preserving sugar, boil the jam until it reaches setting point, then decant hot into sterilised jars, close them tight and leave to cool (ideally upside down for the first bit so a seal forms).
It should keep for at least a year unopened if the fruit wasn’t on the verge of going off, and pretty much lasts the same if kept in the fridge after opening and if always using a clean spoon.
Barb
How did you steralize the jars without boiling them?
Marianna
You can bake the clean/washed jars in the oven!
Sterilize the jam jars by washing them thoroughly using hot, soapy water. Dry the jars in a slow (120ºC) oven for 20 minutes.
P.S. If I don’t have fresh raspberries I just use strawberries and add about a tablespoon of raspberry preserves while I am cooking the strawberries.
Gives the same extra layer of flavor as the fresh raspberries/strawberries combo.
Gerry @ Foodness Gracious
I have no idea what spanx is but it sounds cool! I will be Googling it in 6 seconds….awesome jam sauce!
Kate @eatrecyclerepeat
Those berries are beautiful! I have to confess I’m not a huge fan of hot weather, but the produce makes summer worthwhile. My grandma makes a similar jam and calls it “freezer jam”. I have no idea why, but it is delicious on banana bread.
As for Spanx – I wore them in high school for prom, but they’re just way too constricting for summer.
Tina
Sorry I forgot to tell you about the Spanx, Joy! I’m glad you found out though, because I am trying to get ALL of my friends to convert on this one. Everyone should wear Spanx!
Laura (Tutti Dolci)
Yum! I’d love to spoon this on absolutely everything.
Margarita
shapewear? i have never heard of that… thanks for being a friend and sharing that info! LOL! i want to slather that jam on every piece of bread i have in my house… shapewear or no shapewear!
Jamie @ green beans & grapefruit
Oh, joyyyy, where have you been? Spanx is no secret. They allow you to eat tons of jam!
joythebaker
where the heck have i been!?!?
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
this jam & that wooden spoon picture make me very happy. oh & I’m also yet to boil glass for that very reason. Thanks for the blog link!
Heidi xo
Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe
I just laughed out loud. “Don’t leave a good girl behind…” Well, apparently I was left behind too because I did not know about this amazing shapewear business. Us chiclets gotta stick together!
Angela @ the fairy bread chronicles
i love love love making jam, this is definitely going right on top of the ol’ list.
(the list is entirely theoretical, but still!)
awesome yay happy times, speedy jam is so glorious!