Itsy Bitsy Foodies

In my mind, homemade berry jam is in another league than store-bought variations.  And I love how fresh the uncooked “freezer” versions taste compared to the cooked and canned jellies.  Each bite transports me to the berry patch as I taste the freshly-picked berries and remember all of the fun berry-picking excursions with my grandma and mom when I was little.

This is my mom’s recipe.  Until I recently started making my own jams, I relied on my mom’s jam shipments every time she visited.  It was like liquid gold.  I would make it last as long as possible and it was always a sad day when I would run out and have to buy jam.  Now that I realize how easy and straightforward it is to make jam, I really don’t plan to buy jam again.

I have included my mom’s recipe below.  She uses the Sure-Jell: No Sugar Needed {the pink box} pectin.  Her method is slightly altered from the current Sure-Jell recipe included in each box.  {She actually follows a recipe from an old pectin box that she has used all of these years.}

For a fun family outing, haul your family to the berry patch and then return home to make jams, pies and other treats.  Freeze left-over berries for later use.  My mom’s tip: freeze your berries in mashed and measured quantities so that they are all ready for a batch of jam.