Jammin'!

Okay. I have THE EASIEST freezer jam recipe known to man. It is SO easy that my six year can practically do it all by himself. Do you want it? I thought you did. So, here goes:

Step 1. - Decide what kind of berry jam you want to make: strawberry, strawberry rhubarb, raspberry, blueberry, currant - which we just tried today, or mixed berries of all sorts - and smash them to peices. You can even blend them if you'd like - it all depends on how chunky you like your jam. We like ours fairly chunky, so we just smash it by hand. You need to end up with 4 cups of the crushed deliciousness.

Step 2. You need one packet of the "Ball" brand powdered - NO COOKING REQUIRED! - pectin. I prefer the low sugar kind. Stir that together with 1 1/2 cups of sugar. I also prefer the raw sugar, and it works just as well. (Someday, I'll use the pectin that doesn't call for ANY sugar; it just takes a few more steps plus a little bit of baking on the stove. I kind of like this lazy way......)

Step 3. Add the smashed berries to the sugar/pectin mixture. Stir for 3 minutes. Ladle into jam jars of choice, and let it sit for 30 minutes before devouring! Voila! Easy Sneezy.

Just a wee note: One batch only makes about 5 - 8oz. jars of jam. We practically go through one jar on our toast at breakfast. I recommend a kajillion batches, so stock up on your pectin and berries. This was how I nested last summer and fall when I was pregnant for Ransom! There were no casseroles or meals prepared for my family in my freezer - only about 800 jars of jam! And we JUST ate the last one a couple of weeks ago.....

Then, as we Bookers like to say: "Savor the flavor!"