I Made Jam!

That's right...last night I turned the fruits of our President's Day strawberry picking jubilee into 20 jars of Jubilee Jam! I'm not certain, but I believe this qualifies me for Domestic Goddess status. Being my first foray into the "canning" world, I called upon the most domestic of the goddesses I know, Rose, who armed me with tips and her water canner (that's the big pot in the photo above). I also scanned the MotheringDotCommunity forums for ideas on low-sugar recipes. The universal choice was Pomona's Universal Pectin, which allowed me to use way less sugar than other pectins. (I used 3/4 cup per batch vs. the standard 6 cups and the jam is plenty sweet.)So with my confidence boosted I jumped right in...four hours, two pizzas and two very sleepy kids later...JAM! Rows of it, cooling by an open window.Oh, and just to secure that Domestic Goddess status, I went ahead and whipped up some homemade strawberry muffins (recipe courtesy of The Snail), baked to perfection early this morning. The muffins & jam made for a divine breakfast that my littlest chick devoured by the fistful, and even my older, more particular chick claimed was "great" as she pecked. With their sticky approvals, I hereby accept my new title!

I'd like to thank the many goddesses in my life who made this possible: my sister Dianne, who canned right next to me all evening long; my mother Marcy, a master berry picker; little chick Selby, who can mash berries like a pro; and the infinite inspiration of Laura & Rose. Ya'll rock!