Yes, it is that time of year. Alas, we ran out of the beloved homemade jam, and the "stitch" (Mitchell), had been asking about 10x a day when we could make jam. I told him we could buy some jam, and he pulled a nasty face and pronounced the truest statement of all...."but, homemade jam tastes so much better." Yes, he has found the light, he has figured out that most things taste better when they come from the kitchen instead of the shelf. Smarty pants!
You might think I shopped all the great deals, and spent the day washing, and cutting berries. Alas, I found a simpler way. I simply bought the bags of frozen berries from my beloved Costco, and make jam that way. Luckily, I had tons of sugar and pectin in my pantry, so I didn't have to go shopping (I hate shopping, is that okay to say?). I spent the night making over 20 batches of jam, while Bj cleaned out the pantry (I know ladies, you are jealous). After making all this jam, I have to profess that I have a preference in pectin.It is....
Why? This little pouch of perfection uses SOOOOOO much less sugar. And less sugar makes momma one happy lady. Of course, the fruit doesn't go as far, but I feel so much better when I use 1 1/2 cups of sugar per 4 cups of fruit, as opposed to the other... 4 cups of sugar to 2 cups of fruit.
Now, we are fully stocked (well at least for a little while, Lizzy likes to make Jam sandwiches) in berry and strawberry jam. The freezer is bursting with containers of jam, and when Bj makes his 15 PB&J sandwiches on Sunday nights, we have plenty of homemade jam to keep the little mouths happy.
7 comments:
Ok I have a silly jam question, I made a bunch of freezer jam about 4 months ago and for some reason it didn't set well, it's really runny, can I boil it back down and add some more pectin or do I just have to toss it and try again. I've made jam in the past and it's turned out fine, not sure what happened but one things for sure, it's not getting eaten.
I never thought of making homeade jam with frozen berries. Genius! :)
btw, my mother-in-law (who is an avid quilter) wants a copy of your book when it's finished. She still remembers the quilt you made for Averie! Did you happen to add this quilt in your book? (You made Averie and Ava Ponczoch the same one to refresh your memory.)
1st-denise, start fresh. There's nothing you can do with that old stuff. The only tips I can give is measure carefully, be exact, and drain berries well. Good luck!
2nd- Suzette...how sweet your mother-in-law wants a book. I didn't add that quilt to the book. The patterns in the book are all new designs. I can hardly even remember that quilt design, is it a crooked nine patch? Or no....a square in a square? I just remember there were about 1000 babies born at that time and I was a quilting maniac.
Thank you so much for the freezing sandwich tip Sarah! It has been such a lifesaver in he mornings!
Now I want a PB & J sandwich. Thanks a lot.
i will try that pectin. never thought to do it with frozen berries..so doing that! thanks for the tip! you're just so talented!
Ms. Butler asked for the recipe, so here it is!
The recipe is simple, and on the back of the little pouch. Add 1 1/2 cups of sugar to the pectin, and mix together. Then add the 4 cups of fruit. Mix well. Let set for ....a bit (I can't remember), and then put in the freezer. Nothing simpler!
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