My daughters and I just spent the better part of two days turning three + gallons of strawberries into jam and pies. We ate plenty along the way too.
We had a very full week and it didn’t look like we were going to fit picking strawberries into it. Then our friend Lea offered to pick some for us so we accepted her generous offer.
If you know anything about strawberries you know they don’t last long once they’re picked, so we got busy cooking.
Last year was the first time we tried making strawberry freezer jam and it was a huge success and much easier than we thought it would be. We only had one container left this spring so we knew we had to find time to make more.
[Tweet “If I can make freezer jam so can you!”]
The directions are included with the pectin which is called Sure Jell. We buy the reduced sugar kind and find that it is still plenty sweet.
You wash your berries, remove the stems, and mash them up a bit.
Then you combine water, sugar, and pectin and cook until it comes to a boil. Be sure to stir it as sugar burns very easily. After it comes to a rolling boil you continue to cook it for one minute.
Then put it in containers. I like to use square plastic ones since they stack so much nicer in the freezer.
You leave them set out for 24 hours, and then put them in the freezer.
[Tweet “Other uses for Strawberry Freezer Jam”]:
Add a little to vanilla yogurt
Make a strawberry sundae
Make strawberry short cake with an angel food cake
Pies are a little more challenging. I’ve never acquired pie crust making skills, but one of my daughters has so I count on her to do the crusts.
This is by far my favorite Strawberry Pie recipe.
Strawberry Pie
Ingredients:
1/12 cup sugar
1/12 cup water
1/4 cup corn starch
Mix well. Cook on medium heat to a rolling boil,
stirring constantly. Take off heat when thick and add 1 small pkg. strawberry Jello
2 drops and red food coloring
Directions:
Stir until Jello is dissolved and cool in a pan of cold water.
Put whole hulled strawberries in a baked pie shell and pour this glaze over berries.
Chill several hours. Serve will whipped cream.
I’ve had this recipe forever and don’t remember where I got it. If it’s is yours please let me know and I’ll credit you.
You can alter it by adding a cream cheese layer like this:
Ingredients
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
¼ to 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup whipping cream
Instructions are on the Pillsbury site.
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8 Comments
Karen W
Just noticed this is a link up, but I can’t find the linky info. Would love to link up if you could help me figure it out. Thanks
Phyllis Sather
Click on the image for the link up. Thanks for mentioning that so I can go in and make it more noticeable.
Karen W
I have got to start making jam, it is so much better than store made. We made some that didn’t use pectin the one time, it was pretty good. But we never have huge quantities of strawberries to make lots of jam.
The strawberry pie recipe looks fabulous. Something the kids and I can make with Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen. I would have to use a ready to use crust though, because our oven isn’t working properly. But, correct me if I am wrong, the pie itself doesn’t need baked, so it would be a perfect recipe for this time of year (and being without an oven )
Thanks for sharing with Kids and a Mom in the Kitchen. I have pinned your recipe for future use.
Have a great day
Phyllis Sather
The recipe just needs stove top cooking if you use a ready made graham cracker or shortbread pie shell. I think some of the ready made pastry shells would need baking.
Dawnita
Oh look at all those strawberries!!! I’m envious! Yumm!
Phyllis Sather
We did 3 gallons and thought that was a lot until a family at church told us the did 14 gallons. They have a much bigger family and more helpers.
Gentle Joy
That looks wonderful! Making jam is something I need to make time for… Yum. 🙂
Phyllis Sather
It’s a fun and easy thing to do with children. It get’s really hot so good supervision would be necessary. You will never go back to store bought once you’ve tried homemade!