My Grandma taught me to can when I was a little girl. She started with jams and jellies. She lived in Indiana in a home without air conditioning – it was built in the 1930’s…no one had air conditioning. She did her canning in the basement because it was cooler. She hung her onions to dry in the root cellar – a tiny little room off that basement that was always cold! It held her canned beans, peas, squash, pickles, relishes, peaches, tomatoes, apple butter, jams, jellies and more. She stored tomatoes from their garden, each lovingly wrapped in newspaper and stored for use through the winter. Baskets of potatoes, hard apple cider, elderberry syrup and more! That basement held so many wonderful smells, tastes and memories for me! My grandparents home was my happy place growing up! Her old canning table resides in my kitchen now.
One of the first things she taught me to “put up” was strawberry jam. It was thickened with sugar…lots and lots of sugar… and cooked for a long time. It was good but I do things a bit differently now. Instead of canning regular strawberry jam that requires lots of sugar. I make freezer jam which requires less sugar, no cooking and can be sweetened with stevia – at least in part. I’m experimenting each year to reduce the amount of sugar and increase the stevia!
My grandbabies love this jam because it tastes like fresh strawberries on their sandwiches, toast, pancakes, french toast or even in their yogurt or smoothies! The original recipe came right out of the Sure-Jell Pectin insert. The adaptations to make Hot Jam are my own. The sugar substitutes are also my ideas. I am always looking for ways to reduce any sugar intake because it drives inflammation in the body and I don’t like to have achey joints…or brain fog!
I hope you enjoy as much as my family does!
Blessings,
Cheri
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