baking spree, etc...

I don't know if anyone remembers the whole crazy jam-making spree I went on last year? With my mum? Jars upon jars. Thimbleberries from the backyard, Blueberries we picked with the kids, and the spiced tomato that blew us all away. So many jars I thought we'd be eating jam for years. Never run out.
Guess what?
We're running out.
The spiced tomato went first a month ago, and the last thimbleberry is weeks gone now. sigh.
That's where this story starts: We were running out of jam.
With nothing but blueberry in the fridge and cellar, and the prospect of having to buy jam looming, Shaw's decided to have a sale on strawberries and things started to look up. yay.



(Normally I object on all levels to making jam from storebought produce but hey, we're in a pickle here with even rhubarb still a bit off in the northeast. )
Now here comes the crazy: On the way home from the knife show that I mentioned, I decide it would be nice to bake some scones for my husband's new contact as a thank you. But then, I really should bake scones for his friends who have traveled some distance to be at this show. And if I bake some for a few friends, my conscience will make me bake scones for all his friends at the show.
And so began the scone making extravaganza of Saturday the Second. Scone after scone after scone, in and out of the oven. Four batches of scones. Which is really eight batches because the recipe I use is already a double of the original. Oy.

A few managed to stay home.
So after all the scones have come out of the oven and Paul thinks I'm really going to rejoin the family, I open the fridge to see those strawberries sitting there.
Okay, let's do this.


I already knew I wasn't going to be processing and boiling and anything of the like for just a single batch of jam, so I went for the freezer jam method. Just followed the recipe that came in the Sure Jel box. Easy beans, no freezer involved. You can refrigerate it up to three weeks.

There's no way this is lasting three weeks around here. Carb + Jam is the breakfast/snack/dessert of choice around here. I couldn't wait for a full set, so it's still a bit runny in the photo, but oh-so-yum. Great instant gratification. And all I can say is I hope there's another strawberry sale soon. And I can't wait for Farmer's Markets to start, there'll be double the jam making this year.