Add a little red sunshine to your winter blues...we be jammin'

Oh, winter...deadly, dreary winter.  It's wearing long and hard on many folks this February of 2011...the longest "shortest" month of the year.  What to do when it will be months and seems like years until you get to see green grass and lots of sunshine?  Make some in your kitchen.

This being the era of global food where you can get EVERYTHING any month of the year, it's not too hard to do.  (Does anyone remember when fruits and veggies were actually SEASONAL in the grocery store?  Made them all the more special when the fruit was in-season.)  Anyway, since you can get anything at any time run out and buy yourself some strawberries...as many as your budget will allow.  Then let's get jammin'.

You will need fresh strawberries, sugar, a pan, a thermometer and some patience.

Wash and hull the strawberries.  Cut them however you like.  I generally just cut them in half.  Some folks mash them.  Do whatever floats your boat.

Measure the amount of strawberries.  Pour them in a pan. Use a decent pan with a good bottom that distributes the heat more evenly. 

Add sugar.  I had just over two cups of strawberries and I added a cup and a half of sugar.  Many recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of strawberries to sugar, but I like to reduce the sugar a little.  Google a recipe if you like and follow that if you want, but whatever you do GET COOKING!

Stir strawberries and sugar on low until the sugar melts.  Turn the heat up to a roiling boil.  Just remember to stir to keep the mixture from burning.  Get out your thermometer and attach it to the side of the pan and keep an eye on it.  The heat range for good jelly is between 180 and 220 degrees.  Test periodically for jelling. 

Place three plates in a freezer... after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate... if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready.



I love these "working" glasses.  They come with their own top and can be used for drinks or food storage.  Versatile!



If you're going to eat the strawberry jam right away then you don't need to do the sterile canning thing. You can just put it in a clean container and start noshing that winter sunshine! Enjoy.

Eh? What's that you say?  You don't have anything to put under that jam??  Well, I trotted out an oldie but goodie from the 70's last weekend.  Easy no-knead whole wheat bread.  Here's the recipe.  Give it a try...it's yummy.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 TB salt

2 Pkg active dry yeast

1 cup water

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 egg

2.5 - 3 cups all purpose or unbleached flour

Combine whole wheat flour, sugar, salt and yeast in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.  Pour water, milk and cooking oil into a pan.  Heat on stove until 120 to 130 degrees. 

Add beaten egg and warm mixture to the flour mixture.  Blend at low speed until moistened, then beat at 2 minutes at medium speed.  By hand stir in 2.5 - 3 cups unbleached or all purpose flour to form a stiff batter (Batter will follow spoon. I confess I used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook and it worked just fine.)  Cover batter and let rise in warm place (80 - 85 degrees) until light and doubled - about 50 minutes.

About 5 - 10 minutes before you need to process the batter preheat oven to 375 (350 for glass pans) and generously grease one 9 X 5 or two 8 X 4 inch loaf pans. 

Stir down batter.  Spoon into greased pan(s).  This batter does not rise a second time before baking.  Immediately place in oven.  Bake 9 X 5 pans at 375 for 45 to 50 minutes and 8 X 4 inch pans for 30 to 35 minutes - until loaf sounds hollow when lightly tapped.  Remove from pans immediately.  Cool on rack.  Brush top with melted butter if desired.