Jam Good!

Under the bridge, and over the dam..

Looking for berries, berries for ..JAM!

From Bruce Degen's Jamberry-love it!  Our copy is all worn out-it's been read and loved so much.

Strawberries were on sale ($1.88 a quart-remember those $4.98 days this winter?), and I realized I hadn't ever made jam with my kids.  It's super easy, tastes scrumptious, and oooo-I could give it away at Laundry Love.  It was decided.  Jam Day!

It has been too long since I've made and canned jam, but it's even easier now.  Here's your short tutorial:

Recruit a cute little girl to wash 4 quarts of strawberries.

Enlist two skilled young men to use sharp knives (not hard!)  (and add one more sound asleep on the couch..)

They just work away-I love it!  Mary Claire was hulling the strawberries, and Clay and Jacob were cutting.

And look at this oddball.  Either it has antennae...or it incorporated two baby strawberries near it? or it grew strawberry-mushrooms?  (Do we have enough hands holding it?)

Clean and boil your jars, wax seals, and screw caps.

For 6 jars of jam, you need only three ingredients: 4 cups strawberries, 4.5 Tablespoons of Pectin, and 5 cups sugar.

Bring the strawberries and pectin to boil, and it should boil hard even while being stirred.

Add the sugar all at once, and bring to hard boil again for one minute.  (I said it was easy!)

Pour into prepared jars, wipe the jars clean, put on the hot wax seals/caps, and let set for 12 hours.  The heat will suck in the air (or something like that..) and seal the jar up.  Don't tighten the screw caps all the way until they've cooled.  The lid shouldn't flex or pop up/down if it's sealed.

Voila..Fresh Strawberry Jam!  (and let the kids lick out the big pot to taste the fruit of their labor!)  We repeated the entire process again (all in under an hour), and this recipe (4 c. fruit, 4.5 T. pectin, and 5 c. sugar) actually made extra.  We made seven jars the first time (leaving a tiny bit of head room), and after the second batch, we filled three small 1/2 cup Rubbermaid containers up also.  I still had a tiny bit left, but as I was alone by then, I washed it out.  If I'd left the wax seals off, I could have put a little more in every jar, but you can't fill it too full, or they won't seal!

*I usually buy a package of Sure-Jell to make jam, but it only makes 8 (8 oz.) jars.  Instead, in the canning section, I bought the pectin powder in "bulk", and I measured out what I needed.  I can probably make at least another dozen jars with the tiny jar!*

Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Luke 6:38