Over the holiday weekend, I tried something new. It’s not hard to figure out, if you take in the visual cues and the post title, so I’ll just come out and say it: I made my first batch of strawberry jam. All by myself. And it turned out deliciously. After we picked strawberries last Thursday evening, we had around 20 pounds of strawberries to use. The berries were delicious. Deep red all the way through and so very sweet however, that is a lot of berries to just eat. So I tried jam.
I watched my parents can food when I was young and my mom continues to do so, using items from her large garden. Salsa, beets, hot dill beans, tomato soup among other things. I ‘assisted’ in the process some but very marginally so doing it on my own really was a brand new venture.
I don’t have a recipe to share today. I want to do a little more ‘experiencing’ before I give tips. However, I am looking for advice and tips myself for making jam at home. As I’ve said before, homemade just tastes better.
So, tell me, what is your favorite recipe? What tools do you find most helpful? Best tips for making the process more streamlined and simple?
Oh goodness. We should talk. I’ve been canning jams and jellies for years. I usually keep it simple with my trusty hat water bath canner, single-use lids and packaged pectin, but this year I changed it up and I’m pretty happy with the results. I’m still using my hot water bath canner, but I’ve found reusable rubber rings at Fleet Farm and a new recipe using apples as the pectin. You can find a quick write up here: http://kitchenkennel.blogspot.com/2014/06/strawberry-jam-sugar-vs-honey.html
If you ever want to have a pick-and-preserve party at my place, let me know. I’ve got lots of supplies and blueberry season is fast approaching!
Love to make jams and jellies especially raspberry jam. Homemade are so colorful and much more flavorful.