Epic adventures, we be jammin'!

Sorry for the extended absence! I've been adventuring and enjoying life these past few weeks! I was able to take of a bit of time off from work and travel with Coastie! It was absolutely wonderful, being able to spend time with him, his family, and our friends. We spent our time up in northern Michigan, in places we've lived and loved before. It's always a welcome adventure, especially together.

I wanted to share a recipe that Coastie and I discovered after picking strawberries last week. We picked at Kiteley Farms in Charlevoix, MI. Definitely recommend them for berries. We picked there a few years back as well, and the strawberries were just as good as I remember. This past week, we ended up with darn near 10lb. of strawberries! 

 http://kiteleyfarms.com/

Today, my mother and I picked about 18lb. After strawberries with Coastie, I was ready for more! We were up near the crack of dawn and on our way to Middleton Berry Farm, a local place. It was our first time picking there, and holy cow...so good! 

http://www.middletonberryfarm.com/

Soul-wrenching-slack-jawed-dear-sweet-baby-Jesus-so-good Strawberry Freezer Jam (otherwise known as the recipe on the back of the Ball Freezer Jar Box...whoop whoop): 

2.5 c. crushed strawberries

1 c. sugar or sugar substitute

3 Tb. instant fruit pectin 

(recipe yields 3 half pints)

Start with fresh picked strawberries. Seriously folks, store bought 'berries' have NOTHING on fresh picked goodies. Don't even try! :

Go ahead and wash/core your berries. The farm my mother and I picked at did not use pesticides, but there is still dirt and invisible bug poop you'll want to be rid of. :

Next, crush a bowl of berries with a potato masher. Don't worry about crushing too many, leftovers can always be enjoyed...immediately. Go on and reward yourself for all that hard picking! :

In a separate bowl, mix your sugar and pectin together. :

Add 2.5 c. of crushed berries into your dry ingredient mix, and stir for 3 minutes. :

Pour, cap, and let your containers set for about half an hour to set. I ended up with 12 half pints out of 9lb. of berries. I made three of them with Splenda for my Gramps, who suffers from Diabetes. Should make for a sweet treat! It will stay good in the freezer for about a year. In the fridge? Well...I'll just guarantee you it will be gone before it even has the chance to go bad. Enjoy!