I've been wanting to make my own jam forever, but just never got around to doing it. I think I've always been intimated by the whole canning/preserves thing, so when I came across a no-cook freezer jam recipe online, I thought this was right down my alley.
A few weekends ago, Bear and I found a local strawberry farm where you can pick your own strawberries or purchase already picked berries. It's been too damn hot around here these days for me to be picking berries, so I chose the other option. Bear and I were so surprised to taste such sweet berries, so rich in colour that it really puts the supermarket strawberries to shame. We're so addicted to them that we've been going back every weekend to buy more.
So yesterday, we stopped by again and picked up a half-flat and I thought it was a good time to try making the freezer jam. It's so simple to do it's not even funny. The recipe I used is actually on the package of Ball brand freezer jam pectin and it calls for 4 cups of mashed strawberries, 1-1/2 cups sugar and a package of the pectin.
See how red and juicy these strawberries are? It's crazy, I'm tellin you!
The slicing went pretty quick thanks for a Martha tip I've read to use an egg slicer. This was one of those "now how come I didn't think about using that?" moments I seem to always have. But hey, that's why she's makin the big bucks and not me, right? :)
After slicing the strawberries, I mashed them up a bit using my pastry cutter.
Then you add the package of pectin and sugar and mix it all up. Pour them into your containers, put on the lids and let the mixture set for about 30 minutes.
And that's it! The package says you can keep 'em in the freezer for up to a year and 3 weeks in the fridge. I had to try some immediately on some toast with peanut butter. It was delicious.
I loved the fact that this no-cook recipe didn't incorporate as much sugar as most of the jam recipes that you have to cook down. I look forward to making some raspberry jam next time.
Nothin says summer like a bowl full of berries.
So what do you guys like to do with your fresh berries?
4 comments:
UMMMMMMMM.... looks good!
Oh my god, that looks so good. I want to make some freezer jam, but am actually going to try canning using Bitter Betty's strawberry lime recipe...
I want to have jars for us in the freezer and jars to give away for the holidays.
Soooooo glad you are back!
I was thinking that you were the most amazing cook that you could cut the strawberries so evenly. Then, I read on down and saw the egg slicer;-) I'm relieved. I would have been seriously intimidated. Your jam looks wonderful. I can smell the strawberries. I'm afraid my raspberries don't even make it to the house. I pick them and eat them in the back yard. I also get poison ivy, but what the hey.
Yummy! Please provide the link to the strawberry farm! I'd love to check it out.
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