Making Jam (or One of the Things I’m Doing in Retirement)

DH and I went to the local berry farm and picked over 8 pounds of strawberries. The season is winding down and the berries were hard to find, but we were persistent. Many of them are small, but they are very tasty. We filled our flat in a little over an hour.

I went up to attic and found my old water bath canner. There must have been a time when I thought my canning days were over because there was a sticker on the canner that said $3. I guess it was left after a garage sale – good luck for me! I guess some decisions are not final after all.

I started on the strawberry preserves and quickly realized that I didn’t have tongs for the picking up the hot jars or a funnel for filling them. DH made a run to the hardware store in the next town and came home with a nifty little set – tongs, funnel, magnet for lifting tops, and a gauge for measuring head space – the last one on the shelf. I quickly made 7 jars of strawberry preserves. I hardly made a dent in the strawberries and I realized that I needed more sugar. DH made a second trip to pick up sugar – the market was down to only 3 five-lb bags, so I guess I’m not the only the one making jam!!! While he was there he bought some rhubarb, too. Next came 5 jars of strawberry rhubarb jam. Then back to the strawberry preserves. I made 14 jars of the preserves and 5 jars of the jam.

I cleaned up the kitchen and collapsed on the couch. I still have a lot of berries left – maybe I’ll make strawberry rhubarb pie for the family 4th of July celebration.