You'll learn (if you haven't already noticed) that Jessica is definitely the cooking/baking master! I'm much more of a novice cook at best. I tend to have a "close enough!" mindset, which when it comes to being in the kitchen, generally doesn't end well! Don't judge me for my laziness!
I love love love when I find a recipe that is delish, and oh, so simple! I love when it has a list of recipes I understand and actually have in my kitchen at all times.
Three times this summer I found myself with a fridge full of strawberries, and since we are big jam fans, jam-making was a natural solution! The only problem? Pectin. I didn't have any pectin. I also have zero experience with canning. Freezer jam is totally my thing. Freezer? Yep! I have one of those! The best part about this recipe is that it's pretty flexible! I learned it had to be because when you have 10 lbs. of berries, chances are they aren't all perfect, not to mention their sweetness/ripeness is all over the board, and you'll have to make some adjustments. Here's the recipe:
PECTIN-FREE STRAWBERRY JAM
4 C cut strawberries (or thereabout)
3 C sugar (about 3/4 cups of sugar for each cup of berries)
1/2 C lemon juice (2 TBSP lemon juice per cup of berries)
Cut up strawberries. Determine the size/texture based off how you like your jam. I throw my berries in our Magic Bullet for a few seconds until it's not so chunky. Put all ingredients into a large pot and slowly warm to a boil. Boil mixture about 8 minutes until jam thickens. I usually test out the sweetness (carefully- ow! It's hot!). It almost always sweetens up as it cools and thickens. I'm sure there's some scientific reason behind this. Pour into containers and let cool. Stick 1 in the fridge, and the rest in the freezer! We use this for PB&J sandwiches, on toast, and my fave is to put the jam on pancakes, waffles, or other yummy baked goods.
