Jammin'

Firstly, I did my first ever guest post! Go check it out on The Runner's Plate!

Secondly, we made jam!! My prof warned us that this was the short window of opportunity for fresh and local berries, so jam we made!

The funny thing about strawberries is that I was never really was very fond of them. What I realized, however, is that I'm just not fond of bad strawberries. These were incredible! Local strawberries are delivered every morning to the Food Co-op - and they were all extremely juicy, sweet, and a deep, brilliant red. There wasn't a bit of unripened fruit in the bunch! I also noticed that they were much more delicate than other strawberries I've had - they weren't firm at all and even the most gentle touch had then crushed. They were wonderfully sweet and juicy. Ahhhh... the pleasures of  fresh, local produce in its right season.

The directions on this package of instant fruit pectin called for 2 pints (36oz or about 4lbs) of strawberries, 1 1/2 cups of sugar and the package to be mixed and left to set. I only put in a cup of sugar and I really regret it! These strawberries were sweet enough to stand on their own! 

I pulled the greens off the strawberries, blended them up in a food processor (Ross did not want chunky jam), and then mixed in the sugar and pectin. 

I then ladled it into two pint jars (should have gone with 4 half pint jars - you must use it within three weeks or freeze it for up to a year) - but these were the only jars I had. 

After it is in the jars (which we sanitized with boiling water right before we filled them) you just have to wait 30 minutes for it to set and you have wonderful, local, sweet and REAL homemade jam. 

When Ross had a taste he proclaimed: "it tastes like real strawberries!" 

Well of course it does! 

It is incredible. I haven't made nut butter & jam sandwiches in a while, but those are most definitely going to be on the lunch menu for the next few weeks!!!!