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Strawberry Picking + Jam

There is something nostalgic about canning strawberry jam or canning in general.

It speaks to a time long ago when grandma spent hours in the garden and kitchen harvesting and preparing the summer’s crops for the long Minnesota Winters. Now it is far easier to stop by the grocery store and grab a can of tomatoes or a jam or jelly. Does it taste the same? NO! Is it as healthy? Probably not. It is as rewarding?  Absolutely not! We are sharing a simple freezer jam recipe that takes less than half an hour to make and the flavor is perfectly sweet and can be enjoyed for up to 1 year.  

Strawberry Jam

Best Places to Pick in Roseau?  

It’s that time of year again when nature gives us the sweetest treats to harvest. Strawberries, rhubarb, and raspberries are always in abundance in Roseau County. Picking them and preserving them is such a  great way to get the freshness of summer all year round. Beltrami Forest is a berry picker’s dream. Wild strawberries and raspberries are an early to mid-summer pick whereas blueberries are in early Fall. Taking the family out on a berry hunt is a great way to create memories and fill those cupboards with the taste of summer any time of the year. Roseau also has several berry farms with your pick options. 

Strawberry Jam 2

Preserving the Goodness  

Once you have the berries, consider saving some for canning and making jam. You might be thinking that making a jam is too much work. Why bother when shopping at the store is so easy?  The answer is simple: taste, health benefits, and the rewards. To those of us with an old-fashioned heart, food preservaƟon is a labor of love. Food preservaƟon is a healthy choice when it comes to eating better.  It is farm-to-table cooking at its best. When you harvest and prepare your own foods, you know what you are putting into the meal. When you unseal the jars, the smell of freshness is still there. You get bright bold natural colors without dyes and a sweet taste without all the processed sugars and preservaƟves.  The goodness is all in the flavor and those at your table will be glad you took 30 minutes to share this luscious just-picked berry taste. 

The Recipe-Strawberry Freezer Jam  

Yields: 6-8 f jelly/jam  

Ingredients:  

4-5 cups of stem-off pureed strawberries  

1 cup Sugar (For a healthier version use 3/4 Cup of Sugar or ½ sugar and ½ honey)  1 box of Pomona’s Universal PecƟn  

2 Tablespoons lemon juice  

¾ cup boiling water

You will need:  

  • Containers to put the jam in: half-pint mason jars or Glad Freezerware Containers 
  • Food Processor and blender 

Instructions 

  • Take out the white packet of Pomona’s Universal PecƟn/ dry Calcium Powder. Measure ¼  teaspoon of powder and place in a jar with a lid. Pour in ¼ Cup water and shake well. Set aside.  
  • Pomona’s PecƟn is all natural: the citrus-based pectin is activated with a calcium powder when mixed with water.  
  • In the food processor, add the lemon juice, sugar and whole-washed strawberries. Puree. 
  • Blend the boiling water and 1 Tablespoon of pectin (large white packet) together until smooth. Add the warm pectin mixture to the strawberries and mix. The mixture should jell and thicken. 
  • Shake the Calcium Water to recombine the cloudy mixture. Measure out 4 teaspoons, and add to the jam. Stir this into the berries by hand. Discard the remaining calcium water. 
  • Portion the jam into containers leaving ½ inch headspace. It is safe to store the jam in the fridge for a month or the freezer for up to a year.  
  • Eat and enjoy!  

Note: If using Sure Gel 4 cups of sugar is required for each 2 cups of pureed berries.  

Freezer canning is a rewording process from the harvest to the explosion of flavors sealed in each container. To some seeing the canned goods and their bright colors is an art. Your family will notice the delicious fresh flavors and soon you will be trying to master homemade bread to serve it on.