“Do not be deceived, bad company ruins good morals.” I Corinthians 13:33
I made home made strawberry jam last week. I know, it’s November and I should be making apple butter, but we were out of strawberry jam, and I mean out! I make jam for all of the households, my own and my adult children’s homes. I grew up making jam with my mom; crushing the juicy berries with an old fashioned, hand held masher. I loved the color of the berries and the scent as the berries popped and became a sticky sweet, mess. Over the years I have mashed berries with my children and grandchildren, watching their eyes light up and their smiles widen as fingers dripping with jam pop into their mouths. It is a family tradition and necessity for biscuits, whether spring or fall.
Finding strawberries at the store was a trick, but there they were, in the refrigerated section, fresh from California. Or sort of fresh. I live in South Carolina and can hardly blame the Californians for moldy berries in November. I picked over the quart containers, separating the fuzzy, blackish berries from the bright red ones, hoping I had enough to make the jam.
Most of the berries in those containers had started out fresh and plump and red, but during the trip across country, crushed into a small space, rubbing shoulders with just one bad berry, the mold had spread. Having recently driven across country in a van with four other people in two days, I can assure you that rubbing shoulders in a small space with just one cranky person changes the contents of the car.
We are often, perhaps I should say I am often, quick to think of moldy berries and bad company as people out there, anyone other than me! I need the reminder that on any given day I can choose to be a ripe, mature, fragrant berry, or an old, fuzzy, moldy one.
Strawberry Freezer Jam using Certo
- FRESH strawberries, usually 1 quart equals 2 cups mashed berries
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, can use fresh lemon or concentrated lemon
- 4 cups of granulated sugar
- 1 pouch Certo
Making freezer jam is a fun and easy activity to do with children. From picking the berries fresh from the field if you are making it in season, to mashing the berries, it is truly delightful. Here are the steps to follow:
- Prepare your berries by washing, drying and removing the green stems and leaves.
- Prepare containers by washing and drying thoroughly. Plastic freezer containers are getting harder to find but work well. The recipe makes approximately 4 cups of jam.
- Place berries in a large bowl and mash away. You can pulverize them, or leave some large chunks to remind you of the real berry experience.
- Add sugar and mix well. Let stand for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. You must use the proper amount of sugar for it to set, this is not a lo-cal item.
- Combine Certo and lemon juice in a small bowl, stir well then add to berry mixture and stir for three more minutes, making sure all sugar crystals are dissolved.
- Pour into prepared containers, leaving 1/2 inch space at the top of each container for expansion during freezing. Cover tightly.
- Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours until set. Place in freezer or eat immediately!
My best book recommendation for jam making is The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway. Read this aloud to enjoy the rhyme and rhythm of an entire town working together to get rid of a pack of pesky mosquitoes.