Strawberry Jam: A Sure Sign of Spring

Strawberry Jam: A Sure Sign of Spring

Two things are sure to indicate spring is here, Daylights Savings Time and strawberry jam. While I could write an entire post lamenting my struggle with the one hour time adaptation, strawberry jam is a sweeter topic for today. The following essay is from my book, Gold Pans and Iron Skillets. Funny, the memories that arise while making strawberry jam have evolved from those in the original article. They now take me back to my young married life and motherhood and my dedication for jam making. I'm not as dependable as I once was as there are not so many hungry mouths to feed. Strawberry jam making now occurs only biannually, if that often, but it still feels like a ritual. Enjoy the essay!

Just Because You Can, Doesn’t Mean You Should

I married a dairy farmer and soon learned that one of my major responsibilities as a farm wife would be to can and preserve fruits and vegetables for the coming winter.  Having avoided these activities for my first twenty-five years, I was apprehensive of the tasks at hand.  To my surprise, my initial experience proved a joy rather than a chore!

As our strawberry patch began to show signs of a harvest, my husband of just six months had a hint he was fond of using.  “Soon, you’ll be able to make strawberry jam!”  When the day arrived, I rolled up my sleeves, gritted my teeth, and plunged into my duty.  As I stood stirring the thickening jam, I remembered Grandma Nelson –- or rather, Grandma Nelson’s Back Porch.  There was an old manual washing machine in the room we referred to as the Back Porch.  Grandma had been afflicted with a stroke and her ten children shared the burden of caring for her in her own home.  I can remember my mother washing clothes in that old machine when we stayed with Grandma after her stroke.  My favorite part of Grandma’s Back Porch was an upright freezer.  On the racks inside its door were bottles of strawberry jam.  I can’t recall what other treats it contained; probably a trout or two from Teton Creek and some frozen corn.  I remember opening the freezer door and touching the jars with my fingertips.  I would hold my fingers against the glass until the frost melted and tiny windows revealed the red goodies within.  Mom would catch me and growl at me for keeping the freezer door open, just as I now growl at my children for similar offenses!

I make strawberry jam every year.  Whether I have five jars in my freezer or twenty-five, I complete the ritual.  It has become a tradition for me.  In a way, it helps to preserve my memory of Grandma, and of Grandma’s house, for each time I stir my strawberry jam I recall the first time I made it and the memories come flooding back.  I will always keep frosty jars of strawberry jam in my upright freezer just as there were always frosty jars in Grandma Nelson’s freezer.

Not every canning project is as rewarding or goes as smoothly as did my strawberry jam efforts.  Over the years, countless bottles have refused to seal, bushels of fruit have spoiled before the task was completed, and dozens of filled jars remain on my shelves because the family just doesn’t like canned peaches and pears anymore.  They never did develop an appetite for the carrots and new potatoes I bottled just because I could.  There are those items that remain unidentified because, as a beginner, I wasn’t wise enough to label and date the lids.  They will never be eaten, but I am reluctant to dispose of them as I am confident they took much effort and time that I didn’t have to spare. 

Red onions are abundant, free, and pretty.   I thought it a good idea to save some for a rainy day.  Having located a recipe for Vinegared Red Onions, I filled three dozen pint jars.  I have only opened one.  The pink onions were nasty!  They lost a little color as they were processed, but the onion and vinegar flavors became stronger, too strong to use as a garnish, condiment, or main dish!  They aren’t even worth using as a decoration, as the color has continued to fade to a dull brown.

I have streamlined my canning and preserving efforts over the years.  I now strive to devote my time, talents, and cash to things that will be of use such as: green beans, pickled beets, apple pie filling, and frozen corn.  Oh, and strawberry jam, because not only is it of sentimental value, it has become a staple in our diet.  My family might perish without a freezer full of strawberry jam! 

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!
Carol - aka Running Granny Green

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