Eeeh! I am excited…this weekend is Vida Vegan Con 2013, in Portland, Oregon. You can all put on your jealous hats 
I snagged a ticket from the awesome folks at So Delicious a few weeks back! I attended the first Con in 2011, and I have a feeling this one will be even better. Hope to learn more, meet even more new friends/network and just have a good time! I am sure I’ll get some blogging in as well.
It’s middle of May so it’s time for canning season to start, especially before it gets really hot! And what better than strawberry jams? I know I preach it, but canning is simple. It only seems scary! And strawberry jam is pretty much fool-proof. The worst is if you somehow mess it up…you’ll have strawberry syrup, stored in the fridge. But I can tell you that these two recipes won’t fail. Lets say that I slightly cheated. Instead of my usual trickier Pomona’s Pectin method I used Ball®’s revamped Classic Pectin, which I had come across when our local hardware store opened their massive new store recently. One thing they have is a huge canning and preserving section, it is glorious!
I had come to avoid commercial pectin due to rampant use of preservatives in it. Theirs isn’t perfect, it still has dextrose, but is minus the nasty potassium sorbate. On a side note, it seems that Kraft® has changed theirs as well. The MCP and Sure-Jell dry pectin boxes are now free of preservatives as well. The Certo liquid pectin has it though. So read boxes! But get out there and have fun. If you have a few hours you can easily make a years worth of jam that your family will love. I put in about 2 hours and now have 15 8-ounce jars stored in my pantry 
On this recipe: it is a full sugar one, with more pectin added. If you like really thick, really sweet, this is one to try. I used a variety of sugars, instead of boring granulated sugar, to give the jam a deeper flavor. You can use granulated instead for a lighter flavor.
Lemon Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 2 large lemons, finely zested (organic is best)
- 4 cups crushed strawberries, measured after crushing
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit® Classic Pectin
- 3 cups raw cane sugar (24 ounce bag)
- 3 cups natural cane sugar (24 ounce bag)
Directions:
Fill water canner about ¾ way full with water, place jars in water. Bring to a low boil over medium heat as you prepare jam. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil, add bands, sterilize, set aside on a clean kitchen towel. Turn saucepan off, add in lids and set aside.
Add strawberries, lemon juice and zest to a 8 quart tall saucepan, mix well. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling that can’t be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
Sterilize a clean canning funnel and ladle in the simmering water. Pull jars out of hot water with tongs, draining as you go. Lay out on a clean/dry kitchen towel.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving ¼ inch head space, using a funnel for less mess. Wipe rim with a damp paper towel. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. Place jars in your canning rack (how many fit depends on your rack size/shape). lower into canner, making sure the jars are completely covered with water. Turn up to high and bring to a boil covered.
Process with water boiling for 10 minutes. Remove jars with a jar lifter, set on a dry kitchen towel and cool. Listen for popping ‘pings’, check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. If any haven’t sealed, refrigerate those jar(s) and use up within a month. Otherwise, canned jam is good for a year, store preferably in a cool and dark area.
Makes about 9 8-ounce jars.
3 ingredient jam. Simple, time-tested, easy but with a twist: using sucanat sweetener instead of traditional granulated sugar. It gives the jam a neat depth of flavor!
Strawberry Jam
Ingredients:
- 4 cups crushed strawberries, measured after crushing
- 4½ Tbsp Ball® RealFruit® Classic Pectin
- 3 cups sucanat sugar
Directions:
Fill water canner about ¾ way full with water, place jars in water. Bring to a low boil over medium heat as you prepare jam. Bring a small saucepan of water to boil, add bands, sterilize, set aside on a clean kitchen towel. Turn saucepan off, add in lids and set aside.
Add strawberries to an 8 quart tall saucepan, mix well. Gradually stir in pectin. Bring mixture to a full rolling that can not be stirred down, over high heat, stirring constantly.
Add sugar, stirring to dissolve. Return mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam if necessary.
Sterilize a clean canning funnel and ladle in the simmering water. Pull jars out of hot water with tongs, draining as you go. Lay out on a clean/dry kitchen towel.
Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving ¼ inch head space, using a funnel for less mess. Wipe rim with a damp paper towel. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. Place jars in your canning rack (how many fit depends on your rack size/shape). lower into canner, making sure the jars are completely covered with water. Turn up to high and bring to a boil covered.
Process with water boiling for 10 minutes. Remove jars with a jar lifter, set on a dry kitchen towel and cool. Listen for popping ‘pings’, check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed. If any haven’t sealed, refrigerate those jar(s) and use up within a month. Otherwise, canned jam is good for a year, store preferably in a cool and dark area.
Makes about 6 8-ounce jars.
Jam makes wonderful gifts…just make sure you remind your lucky recipient that if they follow the old school rule of returning the jar and band, they just might get more! And don’t forget to mark your lids with what is in there, along with the month/year!
~Sarah
FTC Disclaimer: Wholesome Sweeteners provided us with the sweeteners used in these recipes.
for my drying. I have found it to be a hard-working machine for the past 4 or 5 years. It works great and looks good – always a bonus. So I got it down and washed up the apples.
on mega-clearance – it was marked down and then was 50% off the lowest price. I paid under $10 for it.
, recently published this year. I really wish there had been books of this quality years ago, when my Mother was alive. It would have been invaluable for her health. Not covering just recipes, but also why and what to eat, how to be healthier and what to watch for with diabetes. Especially helpful were the sections on how to eat meals balanced and just why some foods are better but also what to avoid. I passed the book on to a friend whose mother in law is diabetic and am hoping she will get a lot of use out of it.
and found a recipe to veganize on page 130. I cut the fat in half, just enough for good texture, but not drowning in it as before and upgraded the flour. My Mom would have been proud I am still finding ways to use her choice in (now vintage) cookbooks 
, make balls. Add powdered sugar to a shallow bowl, roll or gently shake balls in it.
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