Jamming…

I should have been packing this weekend. Instead, I did many other things.
We (FI and I) went to visit my mom for Mother’s Day, and we went strawberry picking. We try to go every year. Every couple of years I make a huge batch of freezer jam, which (hopefully) lasts until the next time.

This year I wanted to can the jam so it would last longer. No one argues with that – they all like to eat it!

So Mom and R and I went and picked. It was maybe an hour, not more than 2. We came back with 5 containers and 25+ pounds of berries. They’re really tart this year – not as sweet as normal. We’re blaming that on the weather.

Here’s a pick of the strawberries all sliced and ready to go – or at least three containers worth. The other two were saved for eating straight.

Sunday after church, I came home and had a “jam session.” Four hours of it. Might not have taken so long, except I forgot and already packed the food processor for the move. So I had to puree/crush the strawberries in my single serving smoothie/cup maker thing. Takes a lot longer. Makes a MUCH bigger mess.

But in the end, I have about 18 jars (various sizes) of jam, 4.5 jars of syrup, and 2.5 quarts of strawberry shrub. Don’t know what it is? I didn’t either, but its a colonial era drink syrup. You mx equal parts sugar, crushed berries and vinegar and let it sit over night or a few days. Then you strain and mix with club soda or tonic water. We tried a test spoonful in some regular water and it actually is quite good. Tastes like strawberry soda, but not artifical. Very refreshing actually. 

So, Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all the moms out there!!!

What did you spend your weekend doing? Also getting sidetracked?