Strawberry English Breakfast Tea Jam | Tea Recipe

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Since it is my birthday month, I wanted to make something tasty to eat! I was craving jam, so Lu Ann from The Cup of Life and I joined together to create this tea-infused jam recipe!

Behind the scenes, Lu Ann has always encouraged me to make and bake treats. I’ve tried multiple of her recipes, including scones and lattes. Last year on her birthday, she made Birthday Cake Scones, which inspired me to make something sweet too!

After some brainstorming, we landed on black tea inspired jam because we enjoy black tea, jam, and scones, of course! Below is a recipe for a small batch of Strawberry English Breakfast Tea Jam. Lu Ann made a similar version with raspberry, so make sure to visit her blog afterwards for that recipe, too!

Lu Ann did a lot of the heavy lifting when it came to this recipe. I just did the fun part of the initial testing. I originally wanted to make this with loose leaf tea, but, I found the tea flavour was too delicate, so we opted for CTC (Cut, Tear, Curl) English Breakfast teabags. We picked tea bags because they are readily available.

When making this jam, we wanted something as simple and easy as possible. Therefore, no pectin or canning is required. This jam only requires 5 ingredients! The small batch will make approximately 7-8 ounces and should last for about a week to a week and a half.

The strawberries and black tea complement one another in a lovely manner. The jam starts with bright berry notes, followed by some malty earthiness and a hint of astringency that brings down the tartness and sweetness of the jam. The jam tastes good with fresh scones, sliced toast, and crackers!

Ingredients

• 4 English Breakfast tea bags or 2 tablespoons of loose leaf (CTC is recommended)
• 1/2 cup water, freshly boiled (100°C or 212°F)
• 2 cups strawberries (1 pint), washed and halved (small strawberries) or quartered (large strawberries)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Steep English Breakfast black tea in freshly boiled water for 3-5 minutes or based on the recommendations for the tea. Cover while steeping.
2. In a saucepan on medium heat, combine the strawberries, sugar, and steeped English Breakfast tea.
3. Bring mixture to a boil for about 20 minutes. Stir continuously and mash strawberry as they cook. The jam will thicken during this stage.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and add fresh lemon juice.
5. Remove from heat when it reaches the desired consistency. If you need help knowing when the jam is ready, use a thermometer to check the temperature. It should reach 220°F. Alternatively, use the freezer test method*.
6. Remove from heat and add the Strawberry English Breakfast Tea Jam into a clean glass jar**. Let cool before sealing.
7. Store the jam in the fridge. Jam should last at least a week.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

1. Can I use frozen strawberries?
   • I used fresh berries, but I can’t see why frozen wouldn’t work.
2. I don’t taste any tea flavour!
   • Consider using CTC tea (Cut, Tear, Curl) since it has a larger surface area. However, it can quickly become bitter, so brew it based on the recommendations. We used Tetley’s English Breakfast because it was easy to find.
3. *How do I know when it is “jam consistency”?
   • Use a candy thermometer: The jam should be good once it reaches 220°F.
   • Use freezer test method: Put a cold spoon or plate in the fridge and place a dollop of jam on the spoon or plate to see how the it would look once it is set.
   • Observing: The jam should not be thin and runny. Look for thick droplets of jam that slowly run off when mixing with a spatula.
4. The jam is too thick and sticky!
   • I accidentally made this mistake. I ended up warming up the jam and slowly incorporating more water back into and it was good to go.
5. **Is canning possible?
   • Of course! I personally asked Lu Ann to come up with a recipe that didn’t, but you can find some helpful tips on this website.
6. I’m not a fan of strawberries! Can I try this tea jam recipe with a different fruit?
   • Head over to Lu Ann at The Cup of Life and give Raspberry English Breakfast Tea Jam a try!
   • It’s difficult to say if other fruits would work for this recipe without testing because the natural pectin and acidity levels vary and that will affect how the jam sets. For instance, strawberries and raspberries are low in pectin so they need help to thicken. That’s why lemon juice is added as it is the easiest way to add both pectin and acidity.

This tea-infused jam is easy to make and tastes lovely! Lu Ann version with raspberries looks delicious and she also has more suggestions on how to use the jam. Testing and making this recipe with Lu Ann was a lot of fun and rewarding. I’m considering making some latte recipes in the future, so look out for that!

The question of the post: Strawberries or raspberries?