… is eating strawberry freezer jam on homemade bread. One of the best parts of early summer is strawberry picking and the beginning of jam season.

Today marks the start of another preserving season, and my favorite way to begin is with strawberry freezer jam. It’s so simple that a child can do it. Gather up about 3 pints (3 lbs) of very ripe strawberries. Hull them, dice them, and smash them to a squishy pulp till you have 4 cups. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar mixed with a pouch of “freezer jam pectin“, mix three minutes, pour into 3-5 small plastic containers. Wait 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 month or freeze for 1 year.

The most amazing thing is that when you pull it out in January, it tastes just like June! You can use lots of different kinds of fruit… peach-raspberry being my other favorite. There’s no canning involved- in fact, the hardest part might be locating freezer jam pectin. Our grocery stores sells it here, but so does the Agway garden store and most of the hardware stores that carry canning jars.

Now’s your chance to package up the summer for later, when you really need it. So give it a try!

P.S. Douglas Orchard in Shoreham opens for picking tomorrow. $1.75/lb for pick-your-own. Wear your wellies.