Jam on biscuits…
Jam on toast…
Jam is the thing I love the most…
Blackberry, strawberry, gooseberry…
I’m very fond of JAAAAAAMMMMMM!

Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban was a favorite childhood book and just recently I learned that this little poem was from it. Two of my favorite little boys do an award-winning rendition of the above poem with some major emphasis and fist pump on the JAAAAMMMM.

Last year, I made peach, raspberry and blackberry jam and loved it. Delicious! Full and rich with fruit, low on the sugar so the natural sweet goodness can be the taste bud pleaser. With that supply running low, I needed the next berry jam challenge.

Thus I present Low Sugar Strawberry Honey Jam.  I give it this name because in the attempt to keep it low sugar, I substituted sugar for honey and it definitely gives the jam a district honey flavor to accompany the strawberry. Delightful.

Low Sugar Strawberry Honey Jam
For every 2 (8oz) half pints of jam you will need:

• 2 cups strawberries, chopped into small pieces
• 1/3 cup of apple or orange juice concentrate thawed or water
• 1/2 cup honey (less as you prefer)
• 1 1/2 TBSP Low or no sugar pectin (Ball brand is what I used)
• 1/4 tsp of butter to reduce foaming, if desired

Directions to enjoy jam on biscuits…jam on toast…

1.  Wash all jars and have them lined up in alphabetical order by birth date, ready to have piping hot jam poured in them. Don’t mess around with this one.

2.  Boil lids to sanitize and because that’s just what you do.

3.  Put on apron.  A cute one is preferable.

4. Mash strawberries with potato masher (or other kitchen tool if you don’t have one like me) until you reach the desired consistency. Combine juice and butter with the berries and heat in saucepan over high heat. Bring to full roiling boil that cannot be stirred down over high heat. Stir constantly. Don’t be a wimp, you can last.

5. Add honey. Extra points if you got it from your hive that morning. Continue cooking over high heat, stirring constantly and bring again to a full rolling boil.  Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Don’t even think about leaving to change the laundry. It can wait. Remove from heat.

6. Clap your hands and rejoice over the beautiful red color and delicious jam that you’ve made.

7.  Ladle the piping hot goodness (aka: jam) into your perfectly lined up jars. Don’t forget to leave 1/4 inch for sealing.

8.  Wipe that rim! Not the toilet. The rim of the jar.  To help the tops seal in your award wining jam.

9.  Put lids and rings on and don’t burn your hand on the hot jars.  If you do, like I did. Run it under cold water.

10.  Process jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath, not in your bathroom, but in a big pot as shown below. Pull out and set on a towel to let them cool down and seal up.

11. Have bread rising on the stove or coming out of the oven so you can truly enjoy some fresh bread and jam!

Tip for the worried jam maker:  Mine didn’t look like it was going to set up after I took the jars out of the bath. Yes, they were clean and sealed. But didn’t want to go to bed. So I went and played a game of ultimate frisbee and then they were ready! If that doesn’t work for you, I suggest a game of croquet, lawn bowling or synchronized swimming. Usually does the trick.

Enjoy that tasty goodness and be sure share!

A favorite snack of mine is hummus and once I was introduced to making it on my own, I have a hard time buying it at the store.  I hope I can inspire you also to whip up some DIY hummus…it’s super easy! Yes, that’s a bear rug you see in the background, but no animals were harmed in the making of this recipe.

Hummus Ingredients

1 12 oz can of garbanzo beans

3 TBL roasted tahini

2 cloves of garlic

2-3 TBL olive oil (more to adjust consistency as desired)

1/3 cup lemon juice (more to adjust consistency and taste as desired)

Salt to taste

Paprika to taste (1/4 to 1/2 tsp)

Add ingredients into blender or food processor and puree until smooth (or chunky if you prefer).  

I celebrated my new can opener this week by making some hummus! Yes, I have some how survived in the new cabin for a month now without a can opener.  The neighbors were generous to let me borrow theirs without them knowing it. Thanks Lyle and Heidi!

What is this “tahini” substance of which I speak? No, I’m not speaking Gaelic It’s blended sesame seeds! It can be purchased in the natural foods section of most grocery stores.

Add olive oil or lemon juice to help achieve your desired consistency.  A few tablespoons of the garbanzo bean juice can also be used, but provides less flavor.

Other versions of hummus that are easy to create are with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted red pepper.  I added 1-2ish TBL of pesto to this recipe with delicious results.

 My tasty, healthy afternoon snack. Enjoy!