Jam on it!

When I think about Southern California and what I miss about living there I can't find much. I love Seattle that much! But my best friend Laura is at the top of the very short list and is the only reason I consider ever going back. But aside from that there are a few things I miss. When it is a cold gray day and I need to take pictures of food and really want natural lighting I miss the sunshine almost every day. Now don't get me wrong. I love gray days - just not when I need to do something that needs light. I also miss the strawberries. California strawberries are the best - huge, juicy - sweet. You can stop on almost any corner and pick up a flat for super cheap. Then it is strawberries with everything. 

Here in the Pacific Northwest we have good strawberries. We really excel at other berries - blackberries, raspberries, blueberries. I think these are grey weather berries. Strawberries need lot of sun. But I need strawberries. So throughout the spring I picked up small containers at my local co-op. These managed to tide me over until now. 

I was headed to Sky Nursery the other day and noticed on their website that they have a local berry farm stand in the parking lot. Yeah!! So exciting. When I walked up to the stand I could smell the strawberry goodness in the warmth of the day. So delicious. I picked up 6 pints for $14. Some of the reddest and juiciest berries I have ever seen grown in Washington. 

I had one thing in mind with these beautiful berries. Jam! I have been making jam with my mom since I was a kid. I even made jam with Laura. We made 200+ jars for her wedding favors some years back. It is a kitchen ritual in my home throughout the year at this point. One I truly enjoy. 

I have made jam with regular pectin, low sugar pectin, no pectin etc. I am open to try any method out there. I came across this recipe on the Canning Across America website. I was unsure what to expect since strawberry jam can be hard to get to set up. Let me tell you though, this jam was so easy to make and so delicious and set up so well. 

It has the fresh berry taste plus sweetness and lemon gives the perfect balance. The color is that of ripe fresh strawberries. I scraped a vanilla bean and added that and the pod to the second batch. Pulled the beans out before putting it in the jars. It added a nice mellow vanilla flavor. 

STRAWBERRY JAM
(makes 4-5 8-ounce jars)

4 cups (tightly packed) organic strawberries
1/2 cup lemon juice
4 cups sugar

1. In a stockpot or a canning kettle, cover 5 clean, 8-ounce canning jars with boiling water. Simmer, covered over low heat to sterilize jars. Place lids and rings in another small pan with water to simmer until ready to seal jars.

2. In a clean, dry 4-quart stockpot or canning kettle over high heat, mash berries with lemon juice. (I used a mason jar to mash them - I don't have a potato masher)

3. When the fruit has come to a full, rolling boil, stir in sugar. Continue stirring until mixture returns to a boil, then stop stirring and insert a candy thermometer.  When the thermometer registers 220 degrees, remove jam from the stove and set aside. 

4. With tongs, lift sterilized jars from their simmering water bath and arrange them right side up on a clean kitchen towel.  Transfer jam to sterilized jars, seal according to manufacturers instructions, and then return jam-filled jars to the boiling water and boil for five minutes.  Allow jars to cool undisturbed for several hours or overnight.  Jam keeps for one year.

I think this is the best jam I have ever made. I think that the 1:1 ratio might be the trick. I am going to try it with another type of fruit. 

I enjoyed some jam and toast the next morning! Delish!