Cook-Strawberry Freezer Jam

I've been learning lately that there are many things in our daily lives that we use or consume that we don't realize how simple it is to make it ourselves!

One of these things is strawberry jam (or any jam, really). Yes, jam! It only requires 3 ingredients and takes maybe 15 minutes to make a 6-8 cup batch that will last you months!

Why haven't I been doing this for years?!

Oh and for anyone wondering, jam is made with the FRUIT, jelly is made with the JUICE! I learned that maybe a year ago and it blew my mind. It's the little things, right?

Moving on.

Brian and I went strawberry picking this past weekend and had over 10 quarts (about 15lbs) of strawberries to eat and use!

We've been eating strawberries since we headed home from the strawberry farm! We also prepared and froze a gallon and a half of them, made smoothies and now, freezer jam!

I always thought if you made things like jam you had to can them but that's not true! This recipe is so simple and easy and after the jam sets, you can pop it into the freezer until you need it!

Ingredients:

• Pectin (I used Sure-Jell but there are other brands that are good)
• 4 cups of sugar (raw, unbleached, organic is best!)
• 2 cups of mashed strawberries (over 4 cups whole)
• 1/4 cup of water

Directions:

Gather and prepare your ingredients. Sure-Jell has a great insert in the box with directions for many kinds of jams and jellies. Sure-Jell has one packet in the box and you use the entire thing. 

Wash your strawberries. 

Hull them. 

Mash them! The fun part! I used my potato masher but I'm sure something like an immersion blender would work as well. Mash them but don't puree them because jam is best with chunks of fruit!

Mine measured at a little over 2 cups. 

 Pour your sugar into another bowl. I know, 4 cups of sugar is A LOT of sugar. I read from many sources that you can't use any more or less because the pectin won't set correctly. Sure-Jell also makes a low-sugar/no-sugar pectin as well which I plan to try soon!

Pour the strawberries into the sugar and mix well.

Mix the water and pectin together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil for about a minute, stirring constantly. Don't let it get away from you!

When it's done boiling, pour the pectin/water mixture into the strawberry/sugar mixture and stir constantly until the sugar is well dissolved.

Now pour it into cups, bowls, jars, Pyrex or whatever you want to store it in. Be sure they have been washed thoroughly to keep any bacteria out. This is especially crucial if you are canning this recipe. Leave about an inch or more of space between the jam and the top of the jars to allow for expansion. 

I used two 2-cup size plastic containers (Ziploc brand?) and two small jars that previously had jam in them. I estimate they hold about a cup each.

Be sure to leave the lids off or just resting on top for 24 hours to let the jam set properly. 

If you're putting them in the freezer right away, leave the lids off until they're fully frozen, ESPECIALLY if you're using glass! 

Once it's fully set, spread on some toast, have a PB&J or just eat it by the spoonful! This stuff is awesome! 

Best PB&J on the block! On homemade bread, of course! 

Have you ever made your own homemade jam or jelly? What's your favorite combo of fruit? I want to try triple berry!

Till next time,

Catherine

Freezing Strawberries

After strawberry picking last weekend, I knew we couldn't possibly use and eat all 15lbs of strawberries before they went bad. Freezer is definitely the best option since I don't have canning supplies or a dehydrator. 

Here is the best way I've found to prepare and freeze strawberries. 

Wash and hull them then lay them on a towel to dry.

Let them sit for a while to air dry, or gentle pat them/roll them with another towel. 

The hardest part is trying not to eat them all when they look this good! 

Toss the hulls in your compost or worm bin instead of the trash!

Once they're dry, put them on a cookie sheet, making sure they're not touching too much. The whole point of this is so you don't have a frozen strawberry chunk you can't use! Then place the whole cookie sheet into the freezer until the strawberries freeze. Don't leave them too long or they may start to get freezer burn.

Once they're frozen, simply transfer them to a freezer bag and put back into the freezer! Remember to label the bag with the date as well. 

What would you make with frozen strawberries? Jam? Pie? Smoothies?

Till next time,

Catherine

My Wee Strawberry Plant

Around early April we bought 4 roma tomato plants and one strawberry plant from a local greenhouse. I picked the best strawberry plant I could find and it already had 3 little strawberries growing! 

This is what they looked like the week we bought the plant. 

And after maybe 5-6 weeks they were getting huge! 

Then after close to 7 weeks out, I managed to pluck this beauty at the perfect time! I was like a little kid I was so excited! Way too excited about one measly strawberry! 

 This little guy was delicious! I must have waited till the right time because it was so good!

But alas, just one strawberry at a time is not very filling. I've decided I need about 99 more strawberry plants.

Since that's not very practical, I'm thinking just 3-5 more plants would be a good deal. At least with that many we can have a handful now and then.

Looking at these pictures reminds me that there's one more that's just about ready to eat! Yum!

What fruit are you growing in your garden? What's your favorite fruit? 

Till next time,
Catherine

Cook: Homemade Fruit Roll Ups

How would you like to give your family a fruit snack that actually has real fruit in it? I know I would. Almost every type of fruit snack on the market today is deceiving us all! They are made with artificial flavors and colors and are chock full of high fructose corn syrup. I originally found this recipe on Our Best Bites and you can find the recipe HERE. 

This recipe is extremely easy but it does take a long time. If you have a dehydrator you can use that but I used my oven on the lowest heat setting available. 

Ingredients:

• Whatever fruit it whatever combination you want! You can use fresh, frozen, or canned.
• Sweetener like honey or agave
• Lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature. Some only go down to 170 but others go to 140. 

Pick out your favorite fruit(s). Wash them and cut them if necessary. 

Blend them in your blender or food processor (I used a blender). Add a couple spoonfuls of your favorite sweetener and lemon juice. Do some taste testing to find the right blend. 

Stretch out plastic wrap onto your baking sheets, or use a silicon baking mat. Pour the puree onto the baking sheet and spread it till it is even. Try to keep it from the edges. The top pan is strawberry-peach and the bottom is just strawberry. 

Bake in the oven for about 6-8 hours or until the center is no longer sticky. You want it to be solid but not brittle. You can see in the bottom of this picture that the edges were getting too thin and brittle. If this happens, brush a little water onto the areas that need it. 

Now go make more in other flavors! These are apple and peach mixes. 

Once it is done, simple cut strips with kitchen scissors and roll them up. If you want to get fancy you can lay them onto parchment paper, roll them, then tie them with a pretty bow. I wrapped mine while still on the plastic wrap and it works great...just be sure to remind people that it has the plastic on it! 

Trust me, you want to go make these! They're delicious! Experiment with different flavors and see what's best! I don't think you can go wrong, though! 

What flavor(s) would you make? Would you make the switch from store bought to home made?

Till next time,

Catherine