celticdragonfly: (Firefly - Kaylee - Yay!)
celticdragonfly ([personal profile] celticdragonfly) wrote2006-04-11 06:43 pm
Entry tags:

bread report

Oh, it's good, it's good, it's good.

The kids have had two heels with margarine already. [1]

I had a turkey sandwich, and then two pieces with margarine and strawberry jam.

I need more strawberry jam. Sadly I'm fussy, and don't like the stuff with high fructose corn syrup, which means buying the Simply Fruit stuff. Which is in small jars and expensive. I wonder if the farmer's market place in Fort Worth has jam like that. I don't think I'm quite ready to learn how to put up my own, although I suppose it might come to that someday.

[1] Two heels, because the loaves only fit in my largest storage bag once you've taken off the heel and about 2 slices.)

[identity profile] msminlr.livejournal.com 2006-04-12 01:38 am (UTC)(link)
Preserves are easier than jam; for jam you need a blender or food processor to puree the fruit. The only special equipment you need are the jars (which can probably be found at your local grocery) and a cooking pot big enough to boil the whole batch (I used to use a dutch oven). You also need some fruit pectin (two main brands: Certo and Sure-Jell), and the instructions for use are in the box, with specific proportions of fruit and sugar for each of a couple of dozen types of fruit. When Maggie gets a little taller, it would be a good mom-and-kid activity. By the time Jamie gets tall enough to participate you'll be an expert.

Strawberry jam the easy way

[identity profile] bkseiver.livejournal.com 2006-04-12 04:45 am (UTC)(link)
I have a recipie from my microwave classes on strawberry jam the easy way. It is a small-batch process, and the one or two small jars of jam must be kept in the refrigerator. They are ok for 2-3 weeks. You eat that much up then, anyway.

The thing I learned to do is buy strawberries when they are at their peak. You go ahead and blend them, as if you were going to make jam. Then you fill freezer bags, and lay them out flat in your freezer. When they are frozen hard, you can stack up the bags. The deal is to make each bag the amount you would need to make one of these small-batch recipies. You just thaw the berries, add the pectin and sugar, and proceed as if you had fresh berries. Works really well.

I'll get the recipie to you tomorrow pm. Phoenixsinger is to go into the General for solumedrol etc. after a TIA last week, and I'll have your nephew for about 3-4 days. Typing will occur as he naps!