Strawberry Jam

If the idea of making your own jam is a little scary but still appealing, I beg you to try this recipe. First, it makes only 1 pint of jam which fits perfectly into two jam jars. Second, it isn't processed in a boiling water bath so it is perfect for novices. The taste is divine but the jam will keep for only a few weeks in the fridge. Keep one jar for yourself and give the other to someone special. Now, run to the farmer's market and buy some strawberries while they are still in season. This may be the start of a summer of jams. Peaches will be here before you know it.

I found this recipe in The Joy of Jams, Jellies, and Other Sweet Preserves by Linda Ziedrich. She calls it Small-Batch Strawberry Jam.

1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced thin or mashed

1 cup sugar

2 tbl. lemon juice

In a 12-inch nonreactive skillet, combine all of the ingredients. Stir the contents over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Raise the heat to medium-high and boil the mixture, stirring and skimming off the foam, until a drop mounds slightly in a chilled dish.

Store the cooled jam in a tightly capped jar (or two 1/2 pint jars) in the refrigerator.

Makes 1 Pint

Notes: I used a non-reactive saucepan since I didn't have the type of skillet called for and I cooked it for about 15 minutes. The jam came out fine. Before you begin cooking, place 2 small dishes in the freezer. When it looks as if the mixture is thickening, take a dish out of the freezer and place a drop of the jam on the chilled dish. If it sort of stays without spreading over the dish, it's ready. If not set yet, cook a little longer and try again with the other dish. This jam is runny, so don't expect it to get too thick. Try it with toast, stirred into yogurt, atop toasted poundcake or straight from the jar.