It's strawberry season

Take my 2009 Freezer Jam Challenge this strawberry season.

If you've never tried making freezer jam, why don't you try it this year? I will include instructions below, please try it and post about your results in the comments, or on your own blog. And to add extra incentive, if you're the first newbie to make freezer jam to post about your results in the comments, I will send you a package of Sure-Jell in the mail.

I first made freezer jam in the summer of 2004, while very pregnant with Caitlin. My friend Sarah and I were due at the same time, and she was overdue. She came over one morning to help me experiment and try freezer jam for the first time. LOVE IT! We've used it almost exclusively since then, but I have to confess that Saturday was the first time since moving here that I've made it. It's like coming back to an old friend. Nathan walked in the kitchen and said, "You are delicious!" so there may be other perks for you as well . . .

Did I mention that kids can help with this project? If your child is too young to hull strawberries on his own, try hulling them and then having him cut the berry into smaller pieces. My kids have participated in this process since '04.

I recommend starting with strawberry, but the sky is the limit. If the instructions don't have the exact flavor combo you are looking for, try doing a search in the recipe section of Kraft.com under Sure-Jell.

I've tried these:

Strawberry
Strawberry pineapple--uses canned crushed pineapple
Strawberry kiwi--delicious
Strawberry blueberry--my ALL time favorite

I need to branch out--there is a theme here. I have a little bit of frozen rhubarb in my freezer, strawberry rhubarb would be good. Peach . . . . mmm . . . . haven't lived in a peach friendly state since 2001, but that has all changed now, so I should try it this year. Thanks to women who make jam (Mom, Nancy, Nana--Nathan's grandma, and 2 ladies from church) who inspired me to learn how to make this great homemade treat. Can' t wait to hear about your jam!

Basic Instructions: Strawberry (buy 2 lbs strawberries, 4 cups sugar, and 1 pkg Sure Jell)

1.Wash and rinse plastic containers with tight fitting lids. Glass jars work, too. 1-2 C per container is a good size to begin with.
2. Hull and cut into small pieces--6-8 per strawberry.
3. Mash berries (I use a potato masher. If you don't have one of those because your husband isn't an Idahoan, you could use something else). Measure fruit, you need 2 C mashed fruit.
4. Measure 4 C. sugar into a large mixing bowl.
5. Stir fruit into sugar, and let sit for 10 minutes.
6. Stir 3/4 C water and pectin in a small saucepan, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir into fruit/sugar mixture.
7. Stir for 3 minutes, or until sugar completely dissolves.
8. Pour in 8 oz jars or containers and leave 1/2 inch space at the top to allow for expansion in the freezer.
9. This is the hard part. Let stand 24 hours at room temp. Then freeze up to one year. It will keep for 3 weeks in the fridge, and thaw in fridge.