Strawberry Freezer Jam

My mom makes the best strawberry jam.  Bill as also raves about it - so this year I finally decided I would try to make it myself.  I asked my mom for the recipe and she told me it is just the one on the Sure Jell box.  Well that sounded easy enough.  And turns out it was.  Only 3 ingredients and now I have a bunch of delicious jam in the freezer!

Strawberry Freezer Jam
From: Mom and Sure Jell
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients:
4 pints Strawberries
3 cups Sugar
1 pkg Sure Jell
1 cup water

Directions:
1.  Discard stems and crush strawberries with a potato masher.  Measure 4 cups of crushed strawberries.

2. In a large pot add sugar and Sure Jell package and mix thoroughly.  Stir in 1 cup water.  Bring mixture to a boil on medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Remove from heat.

3. Stir fruit mixture quickly into hot pectin-sugar mixture.  Sir 1 minute or until thoroughly mixed.

4.  Pour into washed and rinsed containers leaving 1/2 inch space at top for expansion during freezing.  Cover.

5.  Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours until set.  Refrigerate up to 3 weeks, otherwise, store in freezer for up to 1 year.  

Easy Rhubarb Strawberry Jam

 

A few weeks ago I had a drink at DMK Burger Bar called Madame Geneva's Rhubarb Delight, which is Gin, lime soda, and gingered rhubarb jam.  And man was it tasty!  I've never had rhubarb before and decided when I went to the farmer's market that I needed to try and make some jam.  I found a couple easy recipes for Strawberry Rhubarb Jam that looked to easy to pass up.  It turned out great, although I might try a little less sugar next time and/or sugar free Jello-O because it is very sweet (but still tasty).  Bill made me his own version of the drink I had with the rhubarb jam and it was fantastic.  Although we mainly have been putting in on bread!

Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
From: Frugal Upstate & All Recipes
Prep: 1-2 hours
Cook:  15 min

Ingredients:
6-8 cups rhubarb cut into 1 inch chunks (2 lbs rhubarb = about 5-6 cups)
3 cups of sugar to taste
1 pkg (3oz) strawberry Jell-O

Directions:
1. Wash and cut rhubarb stalks into half inch pieces and place in a large pan.  Mix in sugar with Rhubarb chunks.

2. Cover and let sit for at least an hour (up to overnight) until the juices come out of the rhubarb

3. Cook rhubarb mixture over medium heat stirring and mashing until it is soft and pieces of rhubarb have mostly disintegrated (about 10-12 min).

4.  Turn off heat and stir in dry gelatin mix.  Transfer to jars, or tupperware and refrigerate or freeze.  (I put one in the refrigerator and one in the freezer).

Dill Pickles

Since I was going to do the bread and butter pickles I figured I may as well try my hand at Dill pickles as well. These were very easy to do, however I have no idea if they will be any good since you have to wait 4-6 weeks until you open them.  I will have to update it when I open them.  The recipe called for grape leaves, but I didn't have any so I did it without them.  I also did one jar that has jalapenos in it, so I hope those turn out well!

Dill Pickles
From: Insightful Nana

Ingredients:
1 peck of pickles (at room temperature)
1 gallon of white vinegar
fresh dill
Alum
Salt (not iodized or it will make it cloudy, but still tasty)
1 clove of garlic for each bottle

Directions:
1. Mix 1 quart vinegar, 3 quarts water, and 1 cup salt and bring to boil, then turn down heat.

2. In each sterilized and warm place one peeled garlic clove, 1 pinch of alum, and several stems of dill.

3. Place in a large frying pan with boiling water and let the steam come up around them.  (make sure lids and rims are in a little pan of water boiling and sterilizing.

4. Fill one jar with vinegar solution (leave 1/4 - 1/2 inch head room at the top). Wipe top of jar with clean cloth, place lid on jar and then tighten rim and set bottle aside. Repeat until all are filled.

5.  Leave on the counter for at least 24 hours.  Then store for 4-6 weeks before opening.  Any jars that don't seal can be stored in the fridge but use them first.

Bread and Butter Pickles

My mom told me she made some bread and butter pickles earlier this summer.  I tasted them, and I was so jealous and knew I wanted to try it myself ASAP.  So I got her recipe and stole some of her jars and set aside some time to make my own. I got a bunch of pickles from the farmers market and decided to also make some dill pickles (that recipe to come).  It was very easy and all of my jars sealed!  I love hearing the popping noise after canning, makes me feel like a job well done. 

Bread and Butter Pickles
From: My Mom

Ingredients:
6 qts. sliced pickles
3 medium onions, sliced
1 cup salt
9 cups cold water
3 pts. vinegar
6 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 tsp alum
1 Tbs tumeric
1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp celery seed


Directions:
1. Slice pickles and onion.  Mix salt and cold water together and pour over pickles and onions.  Let sit 3 hours in refrigerator. 

2. Sterilize jars, lids and rings, either in dishwasher or pot of boiling water.

3. In a large pot combine vinegar, sugar, alum, tumeric, mustard seed, and celery seed. Drain pickles and onions and add to pot.  Heat mixture, but do not boil

4. Take one heated jar, fill with pickle and onion mixture, bringing liquid up to 1/2 in from top.  Seal with sterilized lid and screw ring on tightly.  Leave on Counter 24 hours before moving to a cool dry place.