One of my favorite parts of summer is picking berries and with that comes the making of a favorite treat: Jam. After picking strawberries I made a batch of Strawberry jam (one of my top favorite jams) and then I thought I would be fun to try making Strawberry Rhubarb Jam as I like those two flavors together and the free rhubarb would help to stretch the "expensive" strawberries. The jam turned out quite good and so I am sharing the recipe with you. Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
3 cups Strawberries, sliced thinly
2 cups rhubarb, sliced thinly
5 cups sugar
1 box dry pectin
Combine fruit and pectin in 6 qt pot and bring to a rolling boil. Add sugar and then return to a rolling boil and then boil one minute, stirring constantly. Put in jars and seal. Here are instructions for the water bath method. I personally use the inversion method where you fill the jars (that has been just washed in very hot water) up to 1/2 inch from the top, wipe the rim to make sure it is perfectly clean, place on sterilized canning lid, put band on tightly and then flip over on a towel for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes you flip back over to right side up. After the jar has cooled test the middle of the lid to make sure it has sealed (It should be tight in the middle not be able to press in and then pop back out). If it hasn't sealed you need to put the jam in the fridge and use soon. The inversion method is not what is generally recommended but it has worked well for me and it saves a lot of time and effort.
Before long I hope to be making raspberry jam too and maybe some juneberry and chokecherry. What sort of jam is your favorite?
