How-To Make Your Own Jam

In this How-To, Chef Halee Raff teaches you how easy it is to make your own strawberry jam at home. To get started, you'll need strawberries, a cutting board, a chef's knife, a spatula, a lemon, powdered or regular sugar, a pan, and a stove or burner. Check out the full list of steps below.

• Step 1: Cut the strawberries into halves and cut the top part as well. Add them to the pan and simmer at low heat.
• Step 2: Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the pan with the strawberries.
• Step 3: Add one cup of sugar to the pan.
• Step 4: Turn it up to medium heat and mix the sugar, lemon juice, and strawberries together until they begin to cook. Do this until the mixture becomes a paste.
• Step 5: Using the spatula, crush the strawberries in the pan to extract more juice until they have dissolved into the paste. Continue cooking the mixture until it thickens.
• Step 6: Remove the jam from the pan before it becomes too gummy.
• Step 7: Enjoy!

Chef Halee Raff graduated from Johnson and Wales in 2014 with a Bachelor of Business in Food Service Management. After receiving her degree, Halee returned home to Chicago in high demand; lending her talents to well-known Chicago hot spots like Tru, Sixteen, and Naha/Brindille (all Michelin stars). She soon worked her way up to Chef de Partie and thereafter won the coveted position of Sous Chef at Band of Bohemia and then Momotaro (Boka Group). Her last position was as an Executive in the 4c Group before starting her own company amid the pandemic, Hardbittenn. At Hardbittenn, Halee offers customizable in-home dining experiences, cooking & baking classes, and offerings such as custom cakes and full lines of baked goods and pop tarts!