There were enough ripe strawberries today to have enough for a batch of jam. I really didn’t think we’d get enough to do that, but wonders never cease.
Six cups of perfectly ripe strawberries. Small size but intensely flavored.
I like to make jam the old-fashioned way, without pectin, just slowly cooked and reduced to the proper thickness. Since I don’t use pectin I can use less sugar.
My friend told me about putting a wooden spoon across the top of the pan to keep it from boiling over. Thank goodness I remember to do so.
The sugar and berries foamed so close to the top of the pan before I noticed, it would have been a sticky mess of biblical proportions.
Six little jars cooling on a tea towel. I'll put them away in the cabinet once they are completely cooled off.
I was starting a loaf of gluten free bread dough, which is why I wasn’t paying quite as much attention to the jam as I should have been. I figured if we had some fresh jam, we need to have some bread to put it on.
Hot out of the oven. cooling on a wire rack until I can remove it from the pan.
Friday we went up to the Cascade mountains, thinking about taking a walk on the Pacific Crest trail.
Nothing like looking up at the side of a mountain to put into perspective how puny a person can be.
So, we ended up just going for a drive and a picnic on Friday instead of going for a hike. Maybe next time. The Cascade Mountains are spectacular.
On our way home stopped at our favorite fruit stand to pick up some cherries, and whatever else they had picked.
The cherries we ate fresh, but they also had apricots – yummmm! and the first early peaches. We bought enough apricots to make a crunch, and four peaches which will go into muffins or pancakes once they get a bit riper. Cooking with fresh fruit is just fun stuff.
Now, that’s way too much food for just you two!! Hahaha! I do like your thinking about here’s the jam, and now it needs some fresh bread too!! Pretty neat!