It's Strawberry Time!

Strawberries are now ripe and ready for picking in my part of the country - hooray! It's my favorite summer food! Unfortunately, it seems like the shortest growing season of all the summer foods, too. So, when we pick berries, we pick a lot! I usually make "freezer jam" and lots and lots of strawberry shortcake; all of which freeze well.  I've discovered over the years that people eat strawberry shortcake in many different ways: sliced berries on top of spongy store-bought cakes, sliced berries sandwiched between round biscuits and topped with whipped cream, and the way my family eats it:

bake a batch of Bisquick biscuits (the recipe is on the box),

 

puree strawberries in a blender (with a little sugar) and pour over crumbled biscuits and top with milk.

Now, for that freezer jam...when I was younger, I was a Girl Scout (I know, big surprise). My troop was blessed with a leader who was a great cook. The following recipe is the one I learned how to make when I was 11 or 12-years-old, and is STILL the recipe I use!

Strawberry Freezer Jam (a special thanks to Sandy Sherman)

2 cups mashed strawberries

4 cups sugar

3/4 cup water

one box (1.75 ounce) Sure Jell fruit pectin

Mix sugar and strawberries.  Let stand 10 minutes.  In a saucepan, mix water and Sure Jell.  Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.  Pour over berries and stir for 3 minutes.  Ladle into jars and put on lids.  Let set for 24 hours. Place in freezer.

According to the Sure Jell package, you can store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, and freeze for up to one year. Like it lasts that long...