Jam Berries

Strawberries sweet enough and juicy enough to be deemed Jam Berries are here!! The Louisiana strawberry farms were obviously not hurt by Katrina. My strawberry man was on the side of the road yesterday and I purchased a flat of berries just for jam. The berries are dripping juice and oh so sweet. I will make jam later today if we don't eat the entire flat (12 pints) first.

We stopped buying jelly and jam at the grocery stores six years ago because these products should only have two ingredients - sugar and fruit and occasionally lemon(I guess lemon is a fruit too) to prevent browning and grocery store varieties are laden with high fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, artificial flavors, and preservatives. You forget what the fruit tastes like when there is so much other stuff in there.

I foresee biscuits for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Productivity

I love canning!! Seeing all those jars lined up on the table or counter makes me feel like I have accomplished something. When you do laundry, clean the bathroom, or sweep the floor there is a sense of accomplishment for only a few minutes before someone has put something in the hamper, used the bathroom on the floor, or tracked in dirt. Eating the jelly takes longer so I can feel better about myself longer. Cheap therapy!

Yesterday's jelly making was not easy. I tried to cook too many berries in one batch, walked away to answer the phone and let the sticky mess overflow onto the stove, didn't sterilize enough jars and had to risk breaking a jar or two when I threw them into the boiling water, and didn't get the jam quite thick enough. Major stress. This is the first canning after a long winter so maybe I will get it together for next week's jam fest. My husband said he wanted to give his family jam when we visit at Easter. This means I will have to make one or two more batches. His family is big and you cannot leave out anyone. I guess I could tell him to make his own if he wants to start gifting.