Lily's First Blog

Juicing and Jamming

Hei Hei!! 🫐🌿

This is Lily and I am very excited to write and share my blog with you.

My very first blog is about preserved foods in Norway, and little recipe that I referred for the cooking. 

I took this opportunity, and I made two products;

• Strawberry jam🍓
• Raspberry juice✨

The recipe below get inspired by our lovely professor, Kari Ryslett.

Hope you will enjoy reading them as 'Blogging Beginner' post :)

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The main purpose of food preservation in general is to prevent unwanted changes occurring during prouct storage.

🔍By the way, did you know how preserved foods became a significant part of Norwegian food history and cultural traditions?

Jam plays a very important role in Norway's food preservation culture, where there is a strong tradition of preserving berries picked in summer / autumn to help people get through the long, harsh winter. ☃️

Norway's harsh climate, with the northern part of the country within the Arctic Circle and snow covering it for half of the year, makes it unsuitable for farming. Instead, they have survived the harsh winter by preserving the abundant seafood, meat and wide variety of berries.  (Hägermark, 2013)

For jams made from various berries and fruits, sugar was an essential component. 

Around 1900, when sugar became more affordable and cultivating fruits and berries in home gardens grew popular, jam quickly became one of the most common spreads for bread. 

Fruit juices were also widely used in soups and puddings, frequently accompanied by milk or cream. 

(“Nutritional and Health Aspects of Food in Nordic Countries,” 2018)

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Necessary ingredients/equipment

Strawberries: 1kg

Raspberries: 1500g

Sugar: 400 - 500g

Pots : 2

Scale : 1

Bowls : 4

Strainer: 1 (for juice)

Wooden spoon : 2 

Funnel : 2 (both jar and bottle)

★Twist-off/mason lids jar : 2 or more (for jam)

★Bottle : 1 (for juice)

Photo of necessary ingredients and equipment - Photo: Lily

Procedures

Common procedures:

1) Wear Apron

2) Wash your hands with soap

3) Pick a jar (for jam) and a bottle (for juice) to use

4) Use two kitchen sinks to wash the containers

・Sink A: 

Fill with hot water that can be touched with hands

Wash in water with detergent

・Sink B: 

Fill with hot water

Rinse in the sink 

Photo of sinks - Photo: Lily

5) After rinsing them, boil the lids using a pot

Place jars and bottles in an oven which is set to 100 degrees Celcius

🔍Q. Why does it need to be heated?

Sterilisation 

Process of elimination of all microorganisms through extended boiling, heating to temperatures much higher than boiling, or using certain chemicals.

Hot-pack canned foods are heated to at least 77℃ in syrup, juice, or water prior to being poured into sterilised jars.  This initial heating drives out much of the air, allows the food to be packed tightly in the jar, gives a translucent appearance to fruit, and reduces the heating time. (Brown, 1999)

Photo of jars in oven - Photo: Lily

【Juice】

1) Measure out the ingredients

2) Add raspberries and water to a large pot 

    --- Boil under the lid until the berries have shrivelled (like raisins) and change in colour  --- 

    ＊Keep an eye on the pot, and make sure that the berries remain as whole for clear and more juice

3) Strain the juice through a strainer using another pot

4) Use a funnel to transfer to a bottle that has been heated in the oven and keep a lid on

5) Label it so you can recognise when it is created :)

＊Do NOT crush berries with hands, heat is enough

＊In this case, sugar was not added but it can be based on the individual's preference 

Photo of strainers (step 3) - Photo: Lily

【Jam】

1) Measure out the ingredients 

2) Add strawberries to a large pot

    --- Boil under the lid preferably ---

3) Stir occasionally

4) Add sugar and stir well until sugar is completely dissolved

5) Pour into the jars that have been heated in the oven and seal with the lids 

6) After filling, keep them the other way around in order to lessen air under the lid

＊Amount of sugar can vary, however sugar less than 350g per kg berries are not very delicate in colour of jam

Photo of strawberry and sugar (step 4) - Photo: Lily

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Photo of products - Photo: Lily

🔍 Q. Once again, why heat preservation is important?

Heat can serve as an effective preservation technique since many microorganisms that cause food spoilage or foodborne diseases are sensitive to high temperatures. Common heating methods include boiling, pasteurisation, and ohmic heating.  (Brown, 1999)

Evaluation of my products

    From the observation, first, the colour of both products is natural as well as vibrant, as it reflects the natural colour of fruits. Also, the consistency is within expectation; the jam has thickness and chunks of strawberry, the juice was watery but clearer than I thought.

    For actual sweetness balance, overall, it was too sweet personally, especially the jam, because I may have put too much sugar while stirring. However, both products are fresh and bring out the full flavour of the ingredients. Strong berry taste was set to the right consistency consequently, by following the recipe. Aftertaste was also pleasant with no bitterness, I was able to compare how regular processed jams and juices use a lot of sugar and other sweeteners.

    Moreover, I should have challenged with different recipes for both jam and juice, since the products, although similar, differ slightly in taste and in the types of berries used.

Evaluation of my work process

    

    Overall, although I was not able to manage my time as thoroughly as I had originally planned, I was able to complete the project on my own. Even though it was my second time attempting to make preserved products, unlike group activities, it depends on individual decisions, so I was worried about whether I was properly applying what I learned in the previous practical session. 

(In previous session, I was in charge of Black Currant jam but the whole process was although they look similar, there are some differences)

    In making jam, I experienced how the cooking time affects the jam's hardness and colour. This taught that the amount of sugar plays a major role in its shelf life and flavour. The jam hardens if it's boiled down too much, so adjusting the heat was difficult, but they used the time effectively and checked the cooking process closely.

    I learned to be careful not to overheat the juice to maintain its freshness. Furthermore, I could not determine how many berries (ingredients) required to prepare just by estimate by the eyes, so it ended up with some extra juice left. Next time, I will be more cautious of not wasting ingredients and using only what I need.

    I felt a great sense of accomplishment when I actually bottled the jam and juice I made myself. It was a relatively simple recipe, but by mastering the countless steps and completing preserved foods with my own hands, I felt like I had start to embrace the new learnings and become part of Norwegian food culture. It was especially fun being able to customise the sweetness and flavour to my liking, unlike commercially available products!

    On the other hand, since I planned in detailed what needs to be prepared (how to select appropriate ingredients, what I needed on the list, etc.) and what I needed to pay attention to (sterilisation, cleanliness, etc.), in my opinion, I was able to try my best to take measures to prevent the preserved food from spoiling. The importance of hygiene management, as I learned that if bottles are not boiled to sterilise them or sealed properly, there is a risk of mould growing and the contents rotting.

 🌷Takk for å lese!🌷

Bibliography/Sources that I referred to

Brown, AC (1999).  Understanding food: principles and preparation . http://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA65538752 

Hägermark, WA (2013, December 23). How to make the perfect jam.  Partner Science Norway . https://partner.sciencenorway.no/agriculture--fisheries-food-quality-forskningno/how-to-make-the-perfect-jam/1394160 

Nutritional and health aspects of food in Nordic countries. (2018). In  Elsevier eBooks . https://doi.org/10.1016/c2015-0-06078-6 

Ryslett, Førstelektor, Oral lecture, August 23rd 2025.