One of the many wonderful things that Spring brings is fresh from the farm strawberries. We used to grow strawberries here and we may plant more sometime in the future. This year our strawberries came from our school. A local farmer donated part of his crop as a fundraiser.
Don't they just look delicious?! We like to eat them fresh, eat them dipped in sugar and 10 other ways..but our favorite way is making strawberry freezer jam! So, today was the day!
This morning I started out by cutting the stem off and washing them. I wash them through several waters and after draining them I was ready to crush them. I use the recipe for Freezer Jam from the Sure Jell box. I also texted a friend to refresh my memory..it's been a couple of years.
After cutting the stem off and washing them then you crush them. Someone asked me if I used as much sugar as it calls for lol! I actually do..but we eat it in moderation. It's not like I go get a jar and eat spoonfuls. Although that sounds pretty yummy at the moment! It calls for 2 cups of crushed berries to 4 cups of sugar :) The next batch that I make I'm going to omit 1 whole cup of sugar to see how it taste.
Washing jars and boiling my lids and flats are probably my least favorite part of the job. I do enjoy digging out the jars tho because a lot of them belonged to my grandmother! All of my gardening, canning and preserving memories come from her kitchen. And her kitchen was gourmet (literally)!
After the berries sit in the sugar for ten minutes you add the Sure Jell packet to 3/4 of water in a saucepan. Stir and boil for 1 minute. After that you add the Sure Jell to your berries and sugar.
Then you stir that mixture for 3 minutes.
After stirring the Sure Jell into the strawberries and sugar, pour the mixture into your jars. Let your jars sit at room temperature for 24 hours then place in the freezer and don't forget to place one jar in the fridge for immediate taste testing!
And here is the finished product..pretty huh? It tastes amazing and jelled perfect! Oh, and I made another batch with 1 less cup of sugar and it is delicious as well..and a little more guilt free ;)
Hope you enjoyed reading!
Sarah
