Strawberry Vanilla Jam

It's finally summer.   I scored these berries a couple of weeks ago, fresh from the field.  I bought a whole flat figuring on making jam and eating as many fresh as we wanted.  

I spent an hour hulling and slicing the berries - 2 gallons in all.

K2 requested a few batches of her favorite Strawberry Vanilla Jam.  It's an easy recipe and makes a delicious jam.  I made two big batches

Strawberry Vanilla Jam
www.rurification.com

5 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup water
5 tablespoons low sugar pectin
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Crush the berries and put them in a big pot with the water and pectin.   Stir to dissolve the pectin.  Bring to a hard rolling boil.  Boil 1 minute.   Add sugar and vanilla and stir well until dissolved.  Return to hard boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute.  Ladle into jars.

Yield:  3.5 pints

I don't think jam could get much easier than that.  

For more recipes as easy as this one, check out my ebook on the sidebar.  A Simple Jar of Jam: 180+ recipes & variations for jam using low sugar pectin.

Mango Strawberry Mint Freezer Jam

The mangoes are ripe and we've been getting them by the box.    I've been thinking for a long time about mango jam and I spent an entire weekend developing recipes.

You're going to LOVE them.

Seriously.

This jam will improve your life.

You'll sleep better at night, your kids will be smarter, your husband will actually put his dirty clothes IN the wash basket and not next to it.

OK that last one is probably just pushing it.

But I'm absolutely sure that mango jam will improve your breakfast.    And lunch.   And dinner.  And dessert.

Definitely.   Here's what we have coming up:

• Mango Strawberry Mint Freezer Jam
• Mango Chai Ginger Jam
• Mango Bay Lime Jam

It's been hot, so we'll start with the freezer jam.    You'll want to eat it by the spoonful, so make several batches.   See the post from earlier for an easy way to cut mangoes up.

 Mango Strawberry Mint Freezer Jam

• 3 cups crushed mango pieces
• 1 cup crushed strawberry slices
• 1 Tablespoon finely minced fresh mint
• 4 T Ball Instant Pectin for freezer jam
• 1 1/3 cup sugar

Stir the sugar and pectin together well and set aside.     Crush your fruit some more.  Cut up the mint a little finer.   Stir the mint into the fruit.   Stir the sugar/pectin mix into the fruit and stir well for 3 minutes.   Spoon into freezer containers and let sit out for 30 minutes.    Label the jars - you'll want to find these fast.   After 30 minutes, put the containers in the freezer.  

This jam is fabulous on dutch pancakes.  

Note:  3 large mangoes will give you about 3 cups crushed.   Also - don't over-do it with the mint.   You just need a suggestion of mint; you don't want it to take over.

Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Coffeecake

The strawberries, like everything else around here, are early  this year. 

They're beautiful!   And delicious.    We had these in a strawberry rhubarb cream cheese coffecake. 

I'd have taken a pic, but we ate it too fast.

De. Lish.

Here's the recipe anyway. 


Strawberry Rhubarb Cream Cheese Coffeecake

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups plus 1/4 cup flour [divided for batter and fruit]
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1 8oz pkg cream cheese cut into small cubes
• 2 cups rhubarb, washed and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces.
• 2 cups strawberries, washed hulled and sliced.

Topping

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cold butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.   Grease 9x13 pan.

Toss the fruit with 1/4 cup of flour and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar.  Beat in the eggs.   

Combine flour, baking powder, salt in separate bowl and gradually add to the butter/egg mixture alternating with the milk.  Begin and end with the flour mix.

Fold the fruit and cream cheese into the batter and pour into the greased 9x13 pan.

Topping:  Cut flour, sugar and butter together until crumbly with a pastry blender or in your food processor.      Sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 60 minutes or until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.  

Warning:  This is extremely delicious and very addictive.   You can cut the recipe in half.   You can use any kind of fruit you want.   We've tried it with mixed berries, too.   Mmmmm.