making strawberry jam

We went strawberry picking with some friends a few weeks ago. It was super fun! We went to a farm called Biringer Berry Farm up in Arlington. We've actually gone to Biringer the past four years and I've always been very pleased with their berries. You get to take a tractor ride out to the field (it's totally waking distance but my boys LOVE that part!).


tractor ride


berry picking


my friend April with her two adorable girls, our little pal Forrest and my boys

Once we got home, it was time to get down to business! This is about half of the strawberries we picked-



Aren't they beautiful!

The fun part was having my boys help smash them! They got such a kick out of the funny noises that the strawberries would make as they were getting squished :)





I washed them thoroughly and removed the stems. Then began the process of simmering, adding an obscene amount of sugar as the recipe calls for, pectin, lemon juice, etc. Then boiling, filling the jars and canning. This would not have been possible if it had not been for my good friend Katie C. who came over for a playdate and helped me out with my kiddos!!

I have to admit, I like freezer strawberry jam better. It's just that we have a tiny freezer and it's full to the brim already, so, alas, no room for jam. The jam turned out delicious. This is what i got out of my jam making processes, minus three jars (one I gave to Katie, one has already been devoured, and one we took camping with us).