Strawberry jam

C

charley2

Well-known member
So I cannot remember what decade ago I might have purchased jam or jelly since I make at least 4 kinds every summer. We went to the beach last week and in packing thought I had strawberry. I did have blackberry, but the strawberry turned out to be fig--and not a fave. So we ate on the blackberry and I realized more were coming so went looking for strawberry at store. Got some that was "all fruit". Oh my--awful

So I slapped my forehead and said "I can MAKE some that is better than this!!_" Got a clamshell of VERY ordinary imported (maybe CA) berries and put 2 cups of sugar with 2 cups of quarteded berries and let sit over night. Great juices next day.

BUT i cooked it and didn't trust my first inkling (sheet test) that it was enough and overcooked. It was hard and STICKY and a lot of jokes. But tasted good.

So next day added some water and heat and got it back to at least a syrupy strawberry jam. But next day it was perfect and it is delicious preserves!! NO pectin and truly less than good berries.

Our strawberries are coming in already!!

 
That’s a great save! I looked at them in the store today and they were still too sad. They grow them 30 mins from here, but in the grocery stores we still get the awful ones. When I get the good ones at the farmers market they are too expensive to turn into jam, so I haven’t made any jam in years unless it’s some flavor I can’t buy. I just stick to smuckers.

 
Well, I am suggesting that even the supermarket huge white throated berries can make a decent jam. I was shocked, but won't trade making them from FM ones when they come in. At peak here they are $10-12/gallon (last year). They will start coming in soon--the season is early this year.

 
Here, unless they’ve gone up, which might be likely, at the FM you can get 3 of the small square open top baskets for $15. 😞

 
Well, it IS California!! Are those quart baskets do you think?

There is a farm just north of us that grows smallish DEEP red berries that are just so delicious. I think there were some early berries in the market last Saturday. The first part of May is the usual high season--and it doesn't last long so I don't want to mistime it.

 
🤔 I don’t know. Those maybe 4”x4” inch size?

I’m with you on the small deep red ones. There’s a farm over on the ocean that specializes in chandler strawberries. They are sooo good. Also a high season one and done berry. I grow some, but not enough to be more than a treat here or there.

I really want to try one of the infamous Fairfax strawberries you can’t get anymore. If I had a bucket list that would be on it. The things I did to get just one plant I nurtured for a year and a neighbor let die when I went out of town. 😭😭😭

 
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