Oooooooh nummy nummy! Since everything that has been going on has kinda left me stressed out, I decided to play hookie from life on Friday and took the kids to pick Strawberries! My favorite place is located off of Roy Rogers Rd. in Sherwood, OR. It's called Baggenstos and they are SO nice! I told them when I went to pay that next time we need to weigh the baby before walking out to the fields and then weigh her when we get back cause I am positive I owed them more money! Noah I figured out is a champion picker, Mushy is a "mushy" eater (and messy!) and Emily Grace...she is a stand on the sidelines and boss you around kinda "farmer"!

Of course my plan was to immediatly come home and make jam. But I got home and was so tired that I finally got around to it today! Honestly...I shouldn't have procrastinated cause I had to throw out some! My fave strawberries in the Pacific NW area are Hood! They are so yummy and deep red in color all the way through! I also must have given a ton of jam away as when I went to pull out the freezer jars I had only 4! And wouldn't you know, my local Target does NOT carry canning items! Grrr! But, I found the Ziplock brand containers that twist and honestly they are gonna work great!

What you will need:

1. Strawberries (duh right?!) I made 3 batches so used 12 lbs of Strawberries (a pint of Strawberries equals out to 2 cups of berries and each batch will take 4 cups of berries! Make sense?!)
2. Sugar...for the jam I made you will need 3 cups of sugar PER batch. So 9 cups total for mine. DO NOT I repeat DO NOT decrease the ammount of sugar in your recipe unless you want to have strawberry syrup!
3. Pectin. Such an odd word! But its what is going to "gelatin" your jam! I used 3 boxes of Sure*Jell. The low in sugar kinda that is in the pink box. I find mine at Albertsons. The ball/kerr brands use twice the ammount of sugard and 1/2 the ammount of fruit! WAY too sweet in my book! I used 3 boxes.

First you are going to want to wash and hull your berries. Hull is a fancy word for cut the green end off the berry! I have a large salad spinner and put the basket in one side of the sink and hulled/washed in the other! Once I was done I transfered the berries to a large bowl. Work in batches as its easier to smash your berries! Also, you are going to want to hand smash your berries and not use a processer as food processers break down the natural pectin in the berries!



I used my potato masher. It was actually my Great Grandma Ella's so I feel nostalgic when I use it! I use a glass pyrex (technically this picture is the Pampered Chef version!) and measure out 4 cups of mashed berries.


Set your berries aside and then in a large pot or pan pour in your 3 cups of sugar (confused since I made 3 batches? ALWAYS...make your batches seperatly!! TRUST me! I made syrup the first time I ever made jam! I have learned a lot from when I first started!) and then dump in your box of pectic and stir together.


Then you will take 1 cup of water (temp doesn't matter!) and pour it into your pan of sugar/pectin. Stir till completely combined and cook on med-high heat stirring constantly until boiling. When boiling stir for exactly 1 minute and remove from heat.


It is now time to mix in your berries! YAY! SLOWLY pour your berries into the hot pectin/sugar mixture and stir completely! Should all be equally combined!


I then laddeled my jam into my jars. Be sure to leave a 1/2" expansion room in your containers. Leave the jam out on the counter at room temp (lids on...!) for 24 hours before placing into your freezer. Jam is good in your fridge up to 3 weeks and good in the freezer for up to a year! Enjoy!