Jammin Strawberry Jam

Are you guys getting overwhelmed with fresh, ripe, delicious, sugary, fruit?  My goodness, spring and summer are just the best eating!!

My kiddos and I love to go picking.  We pick anything we can get our hands on (in Massachusetts… strawberries, cherries, blueberries, peaches, apples, etc).  Last year I canned tomatoes and applesauce… this year I wanted to try jam.  We LOVED the results of this jammin jam!

How to make Jammin Starwberry Jam:

What you need:

• 10 cups of cleaned, de-topped, mashed, strawberries
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 4 cups of sugar
• 4 cups of honey

* I think all honey would be fine, it makes your jam a little more runny – but then it can double as ice cream topping. (see below…)

What to do:

1. If you’re going to can your jam – get all your supplies ready – get your pot boiling, jars sterilizing, tops and rings hot and clean.
2. In the meantime put all of your strawberries, sugar and honey into a pot (I used a big dutch oven type pot).  You need time and patience people.
3. Stand by the pot of strawberries, boiling away and skim skim skim!  Be careful not to let the mixture burn to the bottom (I am still pot scrubbing!).
4. The boiling berries produce this foam.  You need to remove it (as much as you can).
5. Get yourself a big bowl and put it right next to you, and a big, flatish spoon, and skim!
6. After about half an hour (or whenever the foaming dies down), you’re ready to add your zest, and fill up your jars and process them for 10 minutes, and then set them aside to cool and pop!
7. Enjoy!

Do you jam?  Can?  What’s your favorite summer item to preserve?