there are some dishes / meals / foods that have intimidated me for years (roasting a turkey, making spaghetti sauce from scratch, baking almost anything at altitude), but with a few exceptions, I've found that once I actually pour a glass of courage, embrace a cloudy day, get out the recipe and *try* them, they aren't that hard.
this jam - and I prefer to make raspberry jam - was one of those. i remember being giddily grateful when aunt wendy or my mom would bring me a sweating jar of freezer jam on their visits! REAL JAM. I'm sure they both it wasn't that hard to make, but i remained intimidated. until i'd been laid off after having Z*, I pretty much couldn't cook unless pork chops on the George Foreman grill counts. so "not that hard" from them, two incredible kitchen goddesses, was not reassuring.
howevah! i finally attempted this REAL JAM prep process, and lo and behold it was...not that hard. and i kid you not: i have not bought store jam (gasp) since. okay, i guess i probably did when a recipe called for apricot jam, but one day I will take that on. until then, this is my life-blood - and go-to easy-gift - and ice-cream topper - and cottage-cheese sweetener - and ...I need not go on, right?
2 cups crushed fresh strawberries* (crush stemmed, quartered strawberries one cup at a time, using a hand potato-masher)
4 cups sugar**, fine baking sugar is nice
1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
3/4 cup water
1. In a large bowl, mix crushed strawberries with sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes.
this jam - and I prefer to make raspberry jam - was one of those. i remember being giddily grateful when aunt wendy or my mom would bring me a sweating jar of freezer jam on their visits! REAL JAM. I'm sure they both it wasn't that hard to make, but i remained intimidated. until i'd been laid off after having Z*, I pretty much couldn't cook unless pork chops on the George Foreman grill counts. so "not that hard" from them, two incredible kitchen goddesses, was not reassuring.
howevah! i finally attempted this REAL JAM prep process, and lo and behold it was...not that hard. and i kid you not: i have not bought store jam (gasp) since. okay, i guess i probably did when a recipe called for apricot jam, but one day I will take that on. until then, this is my life-blood - and go-to easy-gift - and ice-cream topper - and cottage-cheese sweetener - and ...I need not go on, right?
2 cups crushed fresh strawberries* (crush stemmed, quartered strawberries one cup at a time, using a hand potato-masher)
4 cups sugar**, fine baking sugar is nice
1 (1.75 ounce) package dry pectin
3/4 cup water
1. In a large bowl, mix crushed strawberries with sugar, and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir the pectin into the water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil for 1 minute. Stir the boiling water into the strawberries. Allow to stand for 3 minutes before pouring into jars or other storage containers.
3. Wipe any drips on the rim, then place tops on the containers, and leave on counter-top for 24 hours. Place into freezer, and store frozen until ready to use. Once thawed, jam will stay good for a month - but will never last that long.
3. Wipe any drips on the rim, then place tops on the containers, and leave on counter-top for 24 hours. Place into freezer, and store frozen until ready to use. Once thawed, jam will stay good for a month - but will never last that long.
* Can you pick your own berries? we go to Berry Patch Farms!
** UPDATE: i've tried the lower sugar option, and do not care for it; in this case, moderation is the key - just don't put jam on everything you eat, and it'll be okay.
** UPDATE: i've tried the lower sugar option, and do not care for it; in this case, moderation is the key - just don't put jam on everything you eat, and it'll be okay.
prep time: 10 mins cook time: 5 Minutes total time: 24 hrs 25 mins
servings: 80 (makes 5 (8-oz.) jars of freezer jam)
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