How did I go from....

Written by Sue,Monday April 23, 2011                  cloudy cool day,temps. 50's


this......

 To this..

 To this

To this

Look how it glistens in the light.....

Let's have some fun!!!

After growing the berries I pick them....  

wash and dry them, and then...

slice into large pieces, as you want to have real fruit in your jam,  measure 4 qts. of strawberries with 8 cups of sugar if berries are real sweet, if not had an extra cup of sugar, let

 then sit for about 4 hrs. or until the sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally,this is where I test for sweetness,  I then

 place  them on the stove and bring to a boil, keeping it stirred, once it boils I add a pat of butter, no substitute, why butter? Butter cuts the foam down significantly, where I have very little skimming  to do off of the top.

Once it starts to boil  I turn the heat down just a tad, add 1/3 cup juice from a real lemon,continue to boil until

 the berries become clear and the syrup thickens.While the jam cooks, I  already have water in a canning pot boiling on low, and my jars sterilized, as well as the

 caps and lids heating

Now that the jam is ready, I pour it in jars, wipe the rims with a clean damp cloth, (very important!!) add

 caps and lids, and place in canner, I then let them process in a boiling water bath for 10 mins.

 Viola!!! this recipe will produce 12 half pints with

 just this much left over for my food critic. Would anyone like to guess who that is? BTW it passed his inspection with flying colors. ~wink~

Jams make really nice gifts and you can dress them up with raffia, pretty cut fabric cloths as above, I like to give baskets of jams, relishes along with homemade breads,with either handmade a tea towel, or a pretty apron for gifts at  special occasions. 

I have some very sweet older ladies at my church that love getting jams, because they eat light  for breakfast, having a piece of toast or biscuit with jam with coffee or hot tea. Hand made gifts are always welcomed with open arms.

 I apologize for the long post, put wanted to share this recipe, as it is soooooo gooooood!! I pinky promise you, your family, and friends will enjoy it!

I even like to display jams on shelves  in my kitchen....

If you don't grow your own berries, there are a lot of local farms and farmers market where you   may purchase them. It is so much more economical and fun to make your own., not to mention knowing that you are the final one who handled your food. ~ smile~

Happy jamming!!

Until next time,

Hugs

Sue

Ecclesiastes 3:13 ~That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil------ this is the gift of God.~