This is a little later then I expected but I have been a busy bee!!!! You will have to wait until tomorrow to see why though. But I wanted to be sure to get this up before I had to get back to work.
I have been thinking about Food Storage Friday this week and trying to decide which of the amazing deals I should put up as the item of the week. Then I was looking through my coupon binder trying to figure out what I needed for my shopping trip and I discovered the canning jars and pectin coupons that were in last weeks insert.
I just finished making jam for the year at my mom’s a couple weeks ago and I wished I had those coupons when I bought the pectin. I already had jars when they clearanced them out last year. I had so much fun! It was SO easy and I now have jam for a year that I don’t have to buy. I started wondering how many of you make your own jam or can fresh things.
We don’t have “you pick” farms here or anything like that but we do have fresh markets pretty much year round which is so nice. We can get the fresh stuff at a pretty good price and we can store it. It tastes so much better when you do it this way too!!! So I wanted to tell you a bit about what I learned as I made jam. Then your challenge is to make some ourself. Use the coupons for the jars and the pectin (on sale now at Winco), or you can get freezer jam containers ( which are also on sale right now) and make it yourself!!!
Biggest thing I learned was that the amount of pectin is SO important in making jam that is not going in the freezer. I made a batch exactly like the recipe and then I made a batch that I had just a bit more strawberries then the recipe called for. I didn’t think it would be a big deal, just more taste right? Wrong! I made a perfect batch and a slightly liquidly batch. It is still good, just a little thinner then I wanted. So be sure to follow your recipe!
second, if you want chunks in your strawberry jam be sure there are more chunks then you want after you squish the strawberries I made it just as I wanted it to end up like and it cooked down and then was not as chunky. So just be aware of how much you are squishing the fruit!
Third, fresh home made jam tastes best on home made bread!!!! I am loving my kitchen Aid and loving making bread in my oven. It is not as hard as I thought it would be because the Kitchen Aid does the kneading for me for the most part! Then it is fresh and tasty with 12 the work!!! It only really has 1 more step then a bread machine does.
How is everyone doing on their storage?? what sort of things would you like to see me highlight on Food Storage Friday?? Leave me a comment and I will plan to highlight those things in the next couple of weeks!
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