Ok…let’s just start with saying I have NO idea what has gotten into me…but it’s like we’ve come home from holidays and I’m on a rampage. Not sure what you would call it, but I suppose I just got all done with “stuff”….have you ever felt super overwhelmed and almost cluttered in your head by the stuff in your house? We have so many things we don’t even use..they are literally just taking up space. And all of a sudden, it’s a burning desire to clean house. I’ve been purging closets and even went into the garage and spent hours…HOURS… cleaning. Wish I could say that I finished the job…but after all that time, there’s still much more to be done in there. My closet is another area that’s grabbed my attention… looking around, there’s so many pieces that hold an emotional attachment for me and yet they never get worn. There’s usually a build up…I have to get really frustrated and THEN it’s no holds barred. And so, the process has begun. I’m not done in there yet either. But it’s a good start. And it feels good, like with my psyche it even feels good. You just can’t deny the connection between physical clutter and emotional clutter. It’s a thing!!
On another note, I’ve also been frustrated with my pantry (ok, are you sensing a theme with me?). I really want to see less jars and cans of the “bought” stuff. It was also on my bucket list that I wanted to try my hand at canning/preserving this summer (guys, I come from Mennonite roots after all!). So, pretty much the stars aligned…not liking my pantry…having a desire to get into the kitchen…oh and the fact that strawberry season is almost over…for this jam to happen. Oh wait, one more thing, I ran into a friend at the market who challenged me, as I was browsing the strawberries, to get er done! Yes, it took a lot. But…I’m super glad I followed through. Making cooked jam seemed a bit daunting to me (like baking bread!) but…it turned out. It is super do-able. And the feeling of accomplishment is pretty wonderful as well…that feeling you get when you are able to do something you’ve always been a bit nervous of in past. AND…it tastes so fresh and delicious.
So…let me share my cooked jam experience with you. What I didn’t take pics of was the state of my kitchen by the end. Oh. my. word. I didn’t give myself the proper amount of time for this cooking sesh and had to run out the door to dinner. It looked like there had been a battle in there. Like there had been blood shed. Frightening. Lastly, I got some puzzled looks when I said I had made Strawberry Raspberry Jam. I guess it’s not a super common combo for jam. Ha! Good news is it tastes so good. Phew.
In short, mash those berries and then get em cooking in a large pot. It takes longer than I thought to bring them to a boil. So, don’t be in a rush, like I was. Give yourself time!
Have your jars and funnel ready to go so when the jam comes off the element you’re able to pour right away. The step not to be missed of course, is to the wipe the jar rims clean after you’ve filled them with jam. You need these babies to seal. Have I mentioned that the sound of each jar sealing will be music to your ears?!? It’s like each one is a present!!!
- 6 cups mashed strawberries (8 cups whole strawberries)
- 3 cups mashed raspberries (4 cups whole)
- ¾ to 1/12 cup honey (depending on your preferred sweetness)
- 4 Tbsp pectin
- 4 Tbsp calcium water
- Wash and rinse jars…I ran them through my dishwasher.
- Boil the lids and screw bands. Set aside
- Prepare fruit. Remove stems/hulls as required and mash fruit.
- Place mashed fruit in large pot and add lemon juice.
- Add the calcium water from jar into the pot and stir well.
- Measure honey into separate bowl and thoroughly mix pectin powder into the honey.
- Bring fruit to a boil.
- Add pectin-sweetener.
- Stir vigorously 1-2 min to dissolve pectin while mixture returns to a boil.
- Fill jars to ¼" from the top and wipe rims clean.
- Screw on the 2 piece lids and put filled jars in boiling water to cover.
- Boil 10 minutes.
- Remove from water and let jars cool.
- Check seals…lids should be sucked down.
Happy Jamming everyone! Please let me know if you give it a try…I’d love to hear how it goes for you!! Thanks so much for reading friends xo Laurel
