Well, I tried 4 different recipes. Yes, 4! All freezer jams because I like the fresh taste they tend to have - and I am too lazy to do all the cooking and canning required for regular jam.
Second - I will say - ALL 4 batches failed to set. I have never had this happen before. So, obviously I did something wrong. Unfortunately, I have NO idea what! I did not create any of these recipes, so I will trust that they actually do work usually and that I just did something wrong. I will comment on flavors and what we liked best as a family.
First batch - full sugar. 4 cups of sugar to 2 cups of strawberries. YIKES! Not so much on the healthy side. I thought this just pretty much taste like sugar. Too sweet for me. Kids and hubby think it is fine.
Second batch - I will call it the half sugar version. The company called it low sugar - which is a stretch for me. It is indeed lower in sugar than the full sugar versions, but NOT low sugar. I used the standard recipe on the low sugar pectin package. Better in flavor than the full sugar version, but still has a LOT of sugar - something like 3 cups sugar to 4 cups strawberries.
Third batch - Low sugar version. Recipe found here. This is my favorite for regular use - sandwiches, pancakes, etc.
Forth batch - Non-sugar version. Recipe found here. This is my second favorite. For regular use, I wanted a little more sweetness - but this is MUCH preferred to the full or even half batches I tried. My kids will eat all 4 versions without noticing. YEAH! This recipe is my favorite to use in my cupcakes (post coming soon). I also prefer this as a topping on ice cream. No need to add more sugar to these already sugar blasted items. This adds a great bright strawberry flavor.
And, just because I thought you would like to see a few more pictures and a favorite strawberry recipe....
Strawberry Shortcake:
semi-homemade biscuits
(Bisquick with a little sugar)
strawberry sauce
(strawberries in the food processor)
and homemade whipped cream
(whipping cream and a little sugar)
And no - this is NOT low sugar or low calorie. But it was oh so good!
The healthy version of this - one bite. Enjoy!
I've been thinking about giving canning or freezing a try this season. As you know, Michigan has so many great fresh fruits and veggies all spring, summer, and fall. I feel like I need to take advantage of that, but haven't really known where to start. I have found my kids don't really like frozen blueberries and strawberries because they get mushy when you that them. But maybe I need to try more recipes like jam. Thanks for the post - I may be motivated enough to look into this more now! :)
ReplyDeleteSome fruits don't freeze well. If you make a sauce - those freeze really well. Blueberries - if you can dry/dehydrate them. They go great in muffins. I was just reading about freezing onions and peppers. I will have to try that. I also want to try making homemade pasta sauce and freezing/canning that. I will post favorite methods as I do them.
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