Capture all the sweet flavor of summer’s strawberry bounty with this simple, traditional strawberry jam recipe. The recipe makes plenty of strawberry jam, so you’ve got plenty to eat and share.

Strawberry Jam Recipe

Yields about 8 pints

Ingredients

8 cups hulled strawberries (5 cups crushed strawberries; see recipe procedures, below)
7 cups sugar
1 1  3/4-ounce package powdered fruit pectin

Directions

Wash and sort the strawberries quickly in cold water; drain in a colander. Hull the strawberries, using a strawberry huller.

Measure 8 cups hulled strawberries. in a flat-bottomed pan, crush the strawberries, 1/3 at a time, using a pastry blender.

Do not puree the strawberries; leave nice-sized pieces, which will be attractive in the jam. Place the crushed strawberries, with the juice, in a mixing bowl.

Measure 5 cups crushed strawberries, including the juice, and place in an 8-quart, heavy-bottomed, stainless steel kettle; set aside. Place the sugar in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Drain hot, sterilized, half-pint jars, upside down, on a clean tea towel; let stand.

Add the pectin to the crushed strawberries in the kettle; stir well to combine. Over high heat, bring the strawberry mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly. Immediately add the sugar and return the strawberry mixture to a rolling boil over high heat, stirring continuously. Boil the mixture at a rolling boil exactly 1 minute (use a timer), stirring constantly. Immediately remove from the heat and skim the foam off the strawberry jam, using tableware tablespoons and teaspoons.

Using a 1-cup measuring cup with a pouring spout, quickly pour the hot jam into the drained jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the jar rims and threads. Place hot, metal lids on the jars and screw the bands firmly.

Process in a boiling-water canner for the time shown in the processing times chart at the end of this recipe.

Remove the jars from the canner and place them on a dry, wooden board that has been covered with a tea towel. Let the jars stand, undisturbed, 12 hours to cool completely.

Canning Processing Times

For Half-Pint Jar Sizes
Altitude of Canning Location
0 to 1,001 ft: 5 minutes
1,000 ft to 6,000 ft: 10 minutes
6,000 ft+ : 15 minutes

Related stories

Strawberry and Cream Doughnuts Recipe

Tart, Sweet and Fresh: 11 Springtime Vegan Dessert Recipe Ideas

Recipe courtesy of Blue Ribbon Country Canning Cookbook by Diane Roupe.

Photos by Erin Scott (Egg & Dart Press, 2013).

The post Blue Ribbon Country Canning: Strawberry Jam Recipe appeared first on EcoSalon.

Protein-packed and ahead of the grain gang.

I am a creature of habit when it comes to breakfast, but I often force myself to break the cycle for the sake of an exciting ingredient. Amaranth is a new find on my part, and it completely defied my expectations with its uber-light, yet creamy texture. This recipe turned out delicious and is definitely going to be repeated for a high-protein and high-fiber start to my day!

Amaranth is one-of-a-kind. Although it acts very much like a grain, it is actually the fruit of a plant. It boasts a nutritional profile that tallies off both the protein and fiber boxes – it is packed with 5 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein per cup. It contains up to 30% more protein than wheat flour, rice, and oats do. Amaranth is also free of gluten, which is inherent in many other grains, and it is a great source of the essential amino acid lysine, which is rather limited in other grains or plant sources. Cooked amaranth is 90% digestible, is high in vitamins and minerals and prevents disease, supports the immune system, prevents grey hair, and lowers blood pressure.

It is an unusually healthy food that you should experiment with, and why not for breakfast?

Amaranth Cereal Breakfast

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Serve with fruit. I chose fresh figs and bananas. I also added a teaspoon of no-sugar-added strawberry preserves for some extra sweetness and a sprig of mint for an aromatic touch.

Perfect way to start the day!

Bon Appetit!

The post Recipe: (Protein Packed) Amaranth Fruit Cereal appeared first on EcoSalon.

A childhood favorite gets a massive revamp.

Pop-tarts may look like fun and games, but their festive colors and playful sprinkles are where the goodness ends. These famous breakfast treats are no way to start the day.

One Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts Frosted Strawberry pastry contains 200 calories, 5 grams of fat, 170 milligrams of sodium, 2 grams of protein, and 16 grams of sugar. Its ingredient list includes the likes of wheat flour, high-fructose corn syrup, sugar, coloring, preservatives, and a slew of other hard-to-pronounce artificial ingredients.

The most alarming feature of store-bought pop-tarts is their sugar content. With 16 grams of sugar and less than 1 gram of fiber, the famous treat is not fit for breakfast. Its white flour and sugar content only offers something to chew on, not thrive on. And with two pastries per bag, the risk of having more than just one is worrisome, ultimately doubling all the aforementioned statistics. This begs for a recipe that lets you get some pop-tart love, without the handles.

These Strawberry Spelt Pop-Tarts use a simple spelt flour crust and no-added-sugar strawberry preserves. For a sweet and decadent finish, coconut butter is infused with strawberry flavor and slathered on top of the pop-tart. When all is said and done, you’ll be licking your lips and asking for more.

Spelt is a better alternative to white flour because it contains more B-vitamins, protein, and complex carbohydrates. It is also easier to digest. Coconut butter and oil are among the healthiest fats on earth. Most oils change biochemically when cooked at high temperatures, rendering them toxic and acidic in our bodies. Coconut oil has a relatively high burning temperature and is thus a better bet when cooking and baking. Studies have shown that coconut oil and butter both contribute to increased HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

This recipe should be tweaked to your fruit preferences. Use any flavor preserves you like! Make the dough on a Sunday night and each morning of the following week, roll out a piece of the dough, assemble pieces with preserves, and bake to a crispy finish, all under 15 minutes. It’s deceivingly simple. Now, let’s get poppin’!

Strawberry Spelt Pop-Tarts

Makes 6

Ingredients:

For the crust

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1/2 cup coconut oil* (semi-hard)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons ice cold almond milk

For the Filling

• 3 tablespoons strawberry preserves

For the Icing

• 1/2 cup coconut butter*
• 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves

*Note: coconut oil and butter are not the same thing. Coconut oil is extracted from coconut meat, while coconut butter contains the meat.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a medium bowl mix together the spelt flour and sea salt. With a fork, begin to press the coconut oil, which should be soft but not melted, into the flour.

Add the almond milk and knead the dough with your hands until it holds together in a ball.

Form a disk and cover with plastic wrap. Place into the refrigerator for at least an hour, so that it becomes easier to work with and roll out.

I make one pop tart at a time. Sprinkle spelt flour on the counter surface, take a handful of the dough, and roll it out until it is 1/4-inch thick, using more spelt flour when needed to prevent sticking.

Use a pizza wheel to cut two, 3×4-inch rectangles. Place 1/2 tablespoon of preserves onto one of the rectangles, leaving a half-inch space between the preserves and the edges.

Place the other dough slice on top of the one with preserves. Use the edge of a fork to seal the edges.

Place the sealed pop tart on a baking sheet greased with coconut oil. Brush a layer of coconut oil on the top layer as well. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.

While the pop tart bakes, prepare the icing by mixing together the coconut butter and strawberry preserves until evenly combined. Each pop tart will get a hefty teaspoon slathered on top.

Garnish with strawberries and mint and pop ‘em in your mouth! Enjoy!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

Photo Credit: Oksay

The post Nutritional Breakdown: Revamping Pop-Tarts appeared first on EcoSalon.

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!

The post Healthier and Tastier Living: Make Your Own Strawberry Jam appeared first on EcoSalon.