Making jam yourself can be a truly relaxing experience. There's something soothing about spending time in the kitchen, washing and cutting fresh, vibrant fruits, and then gently boiling them while the sweet aroma fills the air.

Strawberry jam

Ingredients: 500g strawberries, 200g rock sugar

Instruction:

Place the strawberries in a large container, add enough water and a pinch of salt, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Then, rinse them thoroughly with water and drain.

After draining the strawberries, remove the leaves and cut them into small pieces with a knife.

Place the chopped strawberries in a pot and add the rock sugar.

Turn on the heat to low and cook the strawberries, stirring frequently until they release their juice. Continue to cook them slowly until they become soft and the liquid reduces, thickening into a jam-like consistency.

Sterilize the glass bottle by scalding it with boiling water and then allow it to dry. While the jam is still hot, pour it into the bottle. Once the jam has cooled, store the bottle in the refrigerator.

Mulberry jam

Ingredients: 500g mulberry, 200g sugar, half a lemon

Instruction:

Remove the stems from the mulberries and soak them in salted water for 15 minutes. After soaking, rinse them thoroughly.

After drying the mulberries, add white sugar and then mash the mulberries with a spoon.

Place the mulberries in a pot, turn on the heat to low, and bring them to a boil. When about one-third of the liquid remains, add the juice of half a lemon. As the liquid reduces further, stir frequently to prevent the mixture from sticking to the pan.

Sterilize the bottle in advance. Once the jam in the pot has thickened and the liquid has reduced, pour the hot jam into the sterilized bottle. Allow the jam to cool before placing it in the refrigerator.

Lemon jam

Ingredients: 6 lemons, 7 eggs, 150g butter, 200g sugar

Instruction:

Wash the lemon and use a grater to finely zest it, enough to yield the zest of about two lemons.

Juice all the lemons using a juicer, and then pour the juice over the freshly grated lemon zest.

Add sugar and eggs to the lemon juice, then beat the mixture with a whisk until well combined.

Place the glass bowl in a pot of simmering water (creating a double boiler) and heat it gently. Stir the mixture constantly until it reaches the desired consistency.

Stir the mixture constantly while heating. If the water starts to boil, turn off the heat and wait for the water temperature to drop before resuming. Continue stirring for about 10 minutes or until the liquid becomes thick and smooth. Once the desired consistency is achieved, remove the bowl from heat.

Add the softened butter at room temperature and continue stirring until it is fully incorporated and the texture is smooth.

Once completely cooled, sift the mixture through a sieve, transfer it to an airtight bottle, and refrigerate.

Apricot jam

Ingredients: 800 grams of fresh apricots, 400 grams of sugar

Instruction:

Wash and dry the fresh apricots, then remove the skin for a better taste.

Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits.

Place the apricot halves in a clean, dry container and sprinkle them evenly with sugar.

Gently stir the apricots and sugar, then refrigerate and marinate for 2 hours. The apricots will gradually release their juice.

Pour the marinated apricot flesh and juice into a non-stick skillet and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking until the mixture becomes sticky.

Transfer the jam into small sterilized jars to minimize spoilage. Use a clean, dry spoon each time you take out some jam to maintain its quality.

You can adjust the amount of sugar based on the fruit's sweetness and acidity. Generally, jams with over 70% sugar can be stored for 10-12 months. If you plan to consume the jam within a shorter time frame, you can reduce the sugar content to less than 50%.