My Weekend Spent Preserving!

     One great way to make sure the food you are eating is fresh and free of artificial additives is by doing your own preserving! This weekend I made strawberry freezer jam and learned to make pickles and sauerkraut!

     I recently got a bread maker and have been making my own bread which I eat as a part of my breakfast. I wanted to have some homemade jam to put on my whole wheat bread. I made freezer jam, which doesn't involve using a water bath. It is really easy to do! The process of making the jam takes about an hour and then it sits for 24 hours.

     I started with fresh, organic strawberries, sugar, water, and Sure-Jell pectin. Unfortunately the season for the U-Pick farms in my area was in June, so I missed it. I bought my strawberries from the grocery store. I used the low-sugar version of the Sure-Jell, it has less sugar but still tastes just as good! Make sure you follow the recipe exactly when preserving!

The Ingredients!

     I washed up the strawberries and cut the stems off. Then I mashed them in a bowl with a potato masher, until I got 4 cups of mashed berries. Once those were all ready I set them aside. I mixed 3 cups of sugar, 1 cup of water, and the packet of Sure-Jell in a kettle. I brought it to a boil, stirring constantly, held it a boil for 1 minute then took it off the heat. I stirred for 1 more minute, then added the mashed strawberries and mixed thoroughly. Then I poured the mixture into 8oz jars, I ended up needing 12 jars. You can use whatever size you want! Last, I put the lids on the jars and let them sit for 24 hours! That's it; super easy!

Finished Product!

     I put one jar in the fridge so I can start using it right away and the rest in the freezer to use when needed, and to share with friends! This is going to go great on my home made bread tomorrow morning! Keep in mind that with freezer jam you don't need to use the water bath and seal the jars. You can even use plastic containers if you want to! I like the glass jars because they look so cute! This is the exact recipe my grandma always used!

Yum!

     In addition to making jam, I also attended a class on pickling through my Community Supported Agriculture (CSA - http://nutritionall-rd.blogspot.com/2011/08/community-supported-agriculture-csa.html) farmer! We made refrigerator pickles and sauerkraut, which were both just as easy as making the jam! Here's a pic of my pickles. They will be ready to go in 4 weeks!

Pickles!

     Overall, doing your own preserving is a really great way to make sure you and your family are eating pure and natural foods without added preservatives, flavorings, oils, coloring, sugar, and other additives. It also helps you and your kids learn about how food is made and the history of making food!

Enjoy!

Cheers,
Brittney