Best Strawberry Freezer Jam

When life gives you strawberries...make freezer jam!  Ball has made it easy with a no-fail instant pectin that requires only sugar, strawberries and love.  

I wash my jars, lids and screw caps in the dishwasher.  I washed and hulled strawberries and put them in my food processor. I used short bursts of power to "mash" the fruit into jam consistency.  I mix 1 envelope or equivalent from a jar of freezer jam instant pectin (note that this jar has a purple accented label) with 1 1/2 cups of sugar.  Stir in 4 cups of smashed fruit.  Stir for 3 minutes.  Ladle into clean jars.  Leave the filled jars at room temperature for 30 minutes, then place in refrigerator for consumption within a few days or in freezer for up to 3 months. 

My parents and I worked in an assembly line and made 5 batches of strawberry jam with 6 quarts of strawberries in about an hour.  We have been having toast and jam every morning ever since. Yum yum yum yum yum.

Leelanau Peninsula: A Classic Summer Moment

I brought a friend up north to Leland with me for a few days and while we were there we made 3 batches of homemade strawberry jam.  Yum!  We had barely started our 5-hour drive back home when we came upon a farm stand on County Road 651 with a van idling in front.  Strawberries!

A flat of strawberries instantly became the perfect souvenir from our time up north.  I pulled over and we shouted greetings to the girl delivering boxes of strawberries right from the field.  As my friend grabbed her purse and climbed out of the car, the girl in the van drove away.  "Where is she going? I really wanted strawberries," my friend said with dismay.

I showed her the cash box and the price sheet.  The look on her face told me that she hadn't seen a farm stand with the honor system ever.  It was a great moment, really, because coming from the hustle-bustle of a city, it shows that people are good and can be trusted.  Chose your box of berries, consult the price sheet, pull out the right amount of money, drop it in the cash box. 

That feeling you get is called satisfied customer.

Strawberry Pot

I am finally using something for its original purpose!  For years, I have planted my strawberry pot with herbs.  It is a wonderful way to have a container garden full of a variety of herbs by the kitchen door.

However, the pot keeps the plants small, so the supply of basil is limited.  This year I am giving my herbs more room and planting them where they can grow larger.  

All of this left my strawberry pot empty, so I transferred some little plants from the garden to the pot and they love it!  When at least 10 are ripe, I'll make a dessert and sprinkle them on top.  Viva la Strawberry!

Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream

What happens when you make a really delicious batch of ice cream? Everyone eats it before you can take a picture for the blog!

This is the last 1/4 cup of my Strawberry Vanilla ice cream. I have been experimenting with my new Cuisinart commercial-style ice cream maker!

Patricia Wells had an ice cream maker like this in the class I took with her in Paris and I talked about it so much my husband gave me one for Christmas!

This recipe would work in any ice cream maker that can make 1 1/2 quarts of ice cream.

Strawberry Vanilla Ice Cream

Stir 1 cup whole milk with 3/4 cups of white sugar. Add 2 cups of Half & Half and 2 teaspoons high quality (like Nielsen-Massey) vanilla extract.

I also added a shake of pulverized vanilla bean which is hard to come by in the States, but a fun addition if you have it.

Pour in ice cream maker and turn it on. About 25 min in, when the mixture was starting to look frozen, I added 1 cup smashed strawberries (you can use frozen (but defrosted) strawberries off season. Frozen strawberries often have more flavor, as they were picked & preserved at their peak).

Serve when the ice cream is soft-serve consistency - it lets the vanilla sing!

Berry Season

Are you reeling from the choice of berries? You simply have to take advantage of this incredible season. I made jars and jars of strawberry jam this week, using my tried & true method. If you have the chance, give it a whirl. All you need is a packet of Ball's No-Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 4 cups of crushed fruit - see my description here.

MacKenzie-Childs

I think one thing that makes me love housewares so much is that they are timeless. Unlike shoes or clothes, a beautiful dish never goes out of style.

A dear friend gave me this beautiful MacKenzie-Childs dish as a house-warming present twelve (!) years ago and here it is today looking as cute as ever holding our first "crop" of strawberries.

Strawberry Delight

Every time someone comes back to the cottage, they seem to be carrying a quart of strawberries. The markets are loaded with berries at their peak and no one can resist! But the kitchen counter is getting crowded with them, so I think it is time to make more jam. I may even make a strawberry tart. 

What if I add strawberry slices to a pitcher of lemonade? Mmmm...I love Summer!

Strawberry Jam

My new favorite thing to make is strawberry jam. Ball's No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin works perfectly - you simply blend the envelope of pectin with 1 1/2 cups sugar, then add 4 cups of crushed fresh strawberries and stir for 3 minutes. 

Then ladle the jam into really cute jars and let stand for 30 minutes. I love these tulip jars by Weck's. I have made 2 batches in the last 10 days and between eating and gifting, they are almost gone! Go get yourself some beautiful June berries and give it a try. There is nothing quite like the taste of homemade jam on buttered toast in the morning. Enjoy!