Strawberry season is upon us and we, the canning connoisseurs that we are, took no haste in making a heavenly jam.Step one: Acquire your fruits: Carandale Farm, located in Oregon Wi was where we ventured for some U-pick strawberries. Highly recommend it. Our rhubarb, we bought at the farmer's market.
Here is the recipe:
4 C mashed fruit (e.g. 3C Strawberries, 1C rhubarb)
1/2-1C Honey or 3/4-2C Sugar (we aim for the low end, strawberries are pretty sweet)
2t Pectin Powder
2t Calcium Water (comes in pectin package)
Yields 4-5 Cups. We tripled the recipe to adjust for the 8 1/2 lb
s of berries we picked
Step 2: Wash and prepare fruit: Remove hulls from strawberries and thinly slice rhubarb
Step 3: In a large bowl mash strawberries using whatever mashing materials are available. Mix in rhubarb slices and add calcium water to fruit mixture
Step 4: Mix together sugar/honey and pectin powder.
Step 5: Bring Fruit to a boil. Add pectin-honey/sugar mixture and stir vigorously for 1-2 min to dissolve all the pectin. Return the mixture to a boil and remove from heat.
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And now, a short lecture on proper canning procedure.
to avoid death or other serious injury, it is recommended you follow USDA approved canning procedures. However, I have not read said recommendations but feel comfortable with what i will now selfishly term the "KB Canning Process"
1) Clean and sanitize all surfaces you will be using throughout your canning experience.
2) When Canning, use mason jars with a 2-part lid/screw top.
3) Wash and rinse jars with hot soapy water.
4) Sanitize jars and lids in boiling water for oooooh 5-10 mins. Let stand in hot water until needed.
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Step 6: Fill jars to 1/4" to the top. Wipe rims clean and screw on tops. Place jars in boiling water for 10 min. Remove from water and place up-side-down on dish towel. Allow to cool. Check seals. Place in fridge when done.
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Best of luck in your jamming endeavors. It's a very simple process, but if you find yourself in a pickle don't hesitate to call the Jamline @ (413) 772-6816. Really, it exists.
