I happened upon a great sale at Vitamin Cottage this afternoon and had to purchase the fresh, organic strawberries that caught my eye. Optimally, I would make a journey out to Berry Patch Farms in Brighton, Colorado, to hand-pick some berries, but the journey seemed too far today.  This hot weather we have experienced here lately kept me close to home.  If you do live in Colorado, and you have a morning’s worth of berry picking in you, a trip to Berry Patch Farms is a treat.  Not only do they open their farm to you, to hand-pick herbs, fruits, and veggies, but they also offer “pre-picked” varieties.  Although this farm is kid-friendly, I opt to venture out on the quieter days designated as “kid free.”  Here is today’s finished product – what a fun experiment!

Quick strawberry jam… This recipe yields about 32 ounces of delicious jam, and it keeps in your refrigerator  up to ten days.  I used eight four-ounce jam jars for this recipe.

 

• 2 quarts hulled, organic strawberries
• 1 cup raw sugar
• juice from one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
• zest from your lemon (optional – adding this will brighten up your jam quite a bit and add a definite lemony note!)

Sliced and hulled, organic strawberries, ready to be blended.

 

Remove the tops of the strawberries and slice fruit in half.  In a food processor, pulse the strawberries to your desired level of coarseness. Transfer the berries into a large skillet.  Add lemon juice and sugar. Turn heat up to medium-high and stir frequently, until jam thickens. This took me about ten minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add lemon zest and fully incorporate.  Pour mixture into jam jar(s) and let cool. Refrigerate and consume within ten days.

 

Never settle on store-bought lemon juice. Take the time to squeeze the juice yourself, and you’ll taste the difference in freshness and flavor.

I found this score at Hazel & Dewey, an adorable kitchen and housewares store on Broadway, here in Denver, Colorado.  For under $30, I freed up space on my stove top and relinquished the need for a spoon rest and a mess!  You can scope out the entire line of “Lazy Spoons” here…

Signing off to enjoy some tea, jam, and bread!  If anyone has a favorite jam recipe, please send it my way – I am always looking for more ways to preserve and linger over summer’s goodness!