Strawberries are one of the most important fruits to buy organic. Large-scale farmers often use massive amounts of pesticides to grow strawberries – pesticides that have often been linked to causing cancer.
Ironically, some of the nutrients naturally occurring in strawberries are thought to prevent cancer. All the more reason to be sure to buy strawberries from local, organic farmers, and all the more reason – since strawberries are now in season – to try my own hand at making jam.
I made a test batch using Pomona’s Pectin at a friend’s recommendation. Apparently it requires less sugar than other brands, and it worked like a charm. My first round tasted just like fresh strawberries!
In fact, it tasted so good that in a few weeks I had already gone through almost two jars. I knew that I needed to make more, and what a great gift it would make! I picked up a flat of strawberries for a bargain from the farmer’s market, bought some 8 and 16 oz. jars and set to work.
Although there are other ways of making jam, I used the cooking/canning method since I have all the equipment after canning tomatoes last fall. The initial intimidation I felt using the equipment wore off quickly after a couple sessions.
I recommend experimenting with a few batches to figure out what you like. Just buy some pectin and follow the recipes included in the package. Happy jamming!