Friday, June 3, 2011

Food Day Friday: Our Strawberries

So we had 2 big buckets of strawberries ... what to do, what to do?

It just so happens that Husband's favorite jam is strawberry. It is also a nice coincidence that Husband has been wanting to make a strawberry pie for awhile. BINGO. I made the jam, Husband made the pie and the four of us devoured the remaining strawberries before the pie even had time to cool.

Husband getting to work, while I ran to the store for jar lids and pectin.

My first ever batch of strawberry jam.
I've been wanting to try jamming for awhile. Mandy has been making jam for years and so far she's shared a strawberry jar and blueberry jar with us. And both jars have just left me wanting more and more and more. Easy and fun, Mandy promises. And she's right. Especially because Husband chipped in and we worked together.
(Mandy, I appreciate that all my jars are the same height but I wish I had two more jars)

close up of my label. high class.
strawberries, sugar and pectin. (they have more than just that recipe, including sugarless options)

This was the prize of the day. I was going through all my jars to take an inventory of what I had and how many lids I needed to buy for tomato canning later this season. And I found this jar. It was my Nanny's. And on the bottom of the jar, a little reminder label she wrote in a handwriting that is so familiar to me. "will not seal" Instead of crying, I laughed. a lot. Then I called my mom and told her. She laughed too. We both figured that this was probably the jar she always used as her "first jar" that went straight to the fridge. sweet memories. I miss her.

Husband's strawberry pie. fab-u-lous.
He used his typical flour/butter crust and for the filling he used a recipe of The Neely's on Food Network. It's fabulous. But we both agreed next time it should be a graham cracker crust.

We've had a couple of breakfasts of homemade biscuits and strawberry jam (and turkey bacon) and it really is so good. And I love the BRIGHT VIBRANT red.

5 comments:

TL said...

the part i love most is how much less stress was involved in your post compared to mine :)

and i LOVE the jar with your grandmother's writing. i would have cried. so sweet.

Kim said...

Canning really is wonderful. For the first time ever this year I was able to lend my Mom some jars for her corn relish. Maybe I'm weird but I think there is something special about borrowed jars!

And...don't dare make strawberry pie with graham cracker crust! when I think fresh strawberry pie I immediately think about the tip end piece that is crust with a little red sweetness stained on top. That's my favorite piece!

Nicki said...

Both the jams and the pie look gorgeous, y'all did a great job! :)

Ashley Smith ~ The Primary Source said...

Both pie and jams look awesome. I am super excited that I will be learning how to can tomatos and such later this summer.

Megan said...

Y-U-M!