My daughter Eve’s 4-year-old hands are just the right size for crushing bright red strawberries with a potato masher. Together, we made the simple jam recipe that calls only for berries, sugar, lemon juice and pectin. She loves to taste test–often–along the way. Eve, who I call my “sous chef” has become one of my best cooking friends. She enjoys mixing and measuring, and especially cracking eggs. And she’s fascinated to see what goes into the food we eat. We made a huge batch of jam and then canned 14 jars for friends coming over this week for a jamming and canning party. I’ll write more about that adventure!
Strawberry Jam Recipe
Ingredients:
2 quarts strawberries
1 package powdered pectin (I usually use 1 ½ packages for a firmer jell)
¼ cup lemon juice
7 cups sugar (you can do with less)
Wash strawberries and remove stems. Crush strawberries (I use a potato masher but you can also use a fork). In a large saucepot, combine strawberries, powdered pectin and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim any foam from the top (many people add a bit of butter or margarine to keep the foam off).
Makes 4 pints/8 half-pints of jam
Sheila says
What a great idea; I never thought to make jam in the winter. But this would be such a wonderful treat on a winter morning.