Summer Activity: Fruitilicious Freezer Jam

Peaches: in the jam, on Auntie Melanie's oatmeal, and in the smoothy with an orange.

Kids love choices. It empowers them as individuals. Why not let them make some choices on fruit as you shop this summer? Lots of opportunities to discuss why certain favorites are in season, different ways to enjoy them now and later. Fruit is fragrant, beautiful, and nutritious. In the summer, it is cheaper, too.

Here is an activity all kids can help with. They can make choices for now and later. Think of those PBJ sandwiches coming up in lunchboxes for March--how nice to plan for them now with some homemade freezer jam.

The kids can choose the fruit and how to combine it into jam.
This had been on my 'To Do List' for a very long time. Making freezer jam!

Now I have twelve little jars of various jams in my freezer lined up
like Napoleon's Army attacking Moscow.
Made from fresh fruit: Strawberry-Peach, Raspberry,
Blueberry-Apple with a Cinnamon Kick, and Mixed Berry (including Blackberries.)

And this morning was the first taste test!

I chose Strawberry-Peach first, which kind of leans toward peach in taste and color.

I think they are so pretty.

Continuing with a peachy theme, cut peaches on the oatmeal, and cut the rest of the peach into the smoothy with a small orange cut up (skin and membrane, too) and apple juice to blend it up.
Step outside into the morning to enjoy it with sunshine and birdsong.

The jam tasted sweet, and peachy with a hint of strawberries. Peaches to strawberries in the mix was about 3:1.

Here is the freezer jam recipe:

Recipe for Homemade Freezer Jam

Ingredients

1 2/3 c. cut fruit (mix and match fruit at your discretion)
2/3 white sugar
1 small package (or 3 1/2 tbs) Instant Pectin (some say specifically for freezer jam)
1/2 c water
2 8 oz sterilized jelly jars

Stir sugar and instant pectin together in medium size bowl. Wash fruit and dice small, you may wish to mash with potato masher. Put fruit with water in sauce pan and simmer for five minutes, pour fruit over sugar and pectin mixture stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Ladle jam into jars, allowing 1/2 inch of space between jam and top of jar. Let stand 30 minutes. Use or freeze for later. To use later, thaw jam in the refrigerator and use within 3/4 weeks. Keep refrigerated. Look forward to using it on toast, bagels, biscuits, fingers, sandwiches...

This post  is an excerpt from MzTeachuh's Enjoying Cooking and Gardening //http://tayloreducational.blogspot.com/