Strawberries, Rhubarb and Jam

Three of my favorite things...

I remember picking strawberries with my grandma when I was little.  She warned me to never paint my nails a bright color before picking.  She claimed that one couldn't tell the difference between the strawberries and their nails.  Of course, I had to try this out for myself -- she was right!  Nail polish and picking don't mix well.

Once we had several containers of strawberries picked, she would pull a few stocks of rhubarb and we would take them to the house, where we washed them, ate what we wanted, and made the rest into jam.

Strawberries... transplanted from a friend's house.

Rhubarb... given to me by a neighbor.

How to Make Jam 

 Making jam is simple.  All one needs is fresh fruit, sugar, a pan to cook it in, a large spoon to stir it with and containers to store it in.  A scale, for weighing the fruit and sugar is very helpful, but it can also be made 'to taste'.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam

• To make jam, prepare the fruit by removing the stems and blemishes, then dice it into 1/2" squares.  
• If you have a scale, weigh the fruit, pour it into a pan and add an equal or lesser weight of sugar* -- depending on the sweetness of the fruit.**
• Put a lid on it and heat over a low temperature, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved and there is a fair amount of liquid in the pan. 
• Mash the fruit -- I use the back of the spoon or a potato masher.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid has reduced to the consistency you want.
• Spoon into containers -- either freeze or seal into clean jars, using the upside-down method and store.

* 2 cups of sugar = 1 pound
If you do not have a scale, start with equal parts fruit and sugar, cook down, taste and add some more if needed.
** Some fruit is sweet enough that it can be made into jam without sugar, but to thicken it up, one will need pectin.  I prefer to use a little sugar.

The Upside-Down Method

The upside-down method of sealing jars is perfect for jams, jellies and preserves.

• Sterilize your jars, lids and rings with boiling water.  
• Spoon boiling contents into jar.  Screw lid on tight and turn the jar upside-down for five minutes.  
• Flip upright and allow to cool.  
• The jar will seal -- only once have I had it fail... we opened the jar that evening and used the contents with supper.