When Mary Ashley, Emma and I visited Cottontown, Tenn., for a ladies day this spring, we were treated to a delicious breakfast Saturday morning. Sweet hostess Donna Williams introduced us to freezer jam, and we were hooked. After the ladies day, we joined Donna and her daughter for an afternoon of strawberry picking. We were eager to make our own jam when we got home, and we have been enjoying the fruits of our labor ever since.
Strawberry Freezer Jam
Donna recommends the Ball Instant Fruit Pectin, available where canning supplies are sold. This is the recipe included with Ball Instant Fruit Pectin.
4 cups crushed strawberries1 1/2 cups sugar or Splenda No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated1.59 oz package Instant Fruit Pectin
5 Ball 8 oz Freezer Jars or
5 Ball 8 oz Jelly Jars
Stir sugar and pectin in a bowl. Add crushed fruit. Stir 3 minutes. Ladle jam into clean jars and let stand 30 minutes. Enjoy. Freeze jam up to 1 year. Refrigerate up to 3 weeks.
Strawberry jam is the perfect complement to strawberry scones from Smith-Byrd House, served yesterday with almond cream and fresh strawberries.
Homemade jam is a wonderful treat to serve at home, but also a thoughtful gift to share. To dress up this jar, I used a cocktail napkin as a pattern to trace a square onto a scrap of fabric with a blue fabric pin. Then I sewed a scalloped edge around the square and cut it out. With a pretty ribbon tied around the jar, all that is needed is a pretty label to finish off a perfect hostess gift. Have you ever made strawberry jam? I would love to hear your experience making jams, jellies and preserves.
We have strawberry fever around here, so I am rounding up some of my berry favorite recipes to share!
