Canning Strawberry Jam in December

The week before Christmas (2011), I was in the kitchen canning strawberry jam!  Yes, you read correctly: strawberries.  That delicious fruit that starts producing in the spring. 

The reason I had waited so long to start making my jam is because I procrastinated was mortified that I’d screw up making jam as Christmas gifts!  I had heard so many horror stories about runny, yucky tasting jam, and I was not ready to take on the burden of being disappointed.

There is a local pick-your-own  strawberry patch just a few miles from our home.  I picked a lot of strawberries for the main purpose of canning them as gifts for Christmas.  What I learned last year is that if you don’t want to can throughout the whole season, you can puree fruits in a blender and freeze them for a later date to start canning!  I also did this with blueberries I picked from another pick-your-own orchard.

I honestly believe that the reason I like canning so much is because I wasn’t doing it from May through November.  It was great to make applesauce and apple pie in a jar in October, and then putting everything away until December. 

If your zone is in strawberry season and you would like to learn (visually) how to can, I will be posting a vlog in the next few months teaching you how to do so.  It truly is very easy, and it can be done with less than $50 in equipment!  Until then, pick your berries, puree them in a blender or food processor and stick them in the freezer.  They will taste just as good as they did fresh!