Strawberry Jam

Now is the middle of strawberry season and today we went to Sussex County Strawberry Farm. They have 15 acres of berries, the plants were full of berries and the air smelled like strawberry jam as you walked between the rows.

It only took about 45 minutes to pick six quarts which we then took home and made strawberry jam with about four of the quarts. The jam was extremely easy to make with only four ingredients (5 cups mashed berries, 7 cups of sugar, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1 box of pectin) and even the canning process was not too bad once you got the hang of it. We ended up with nine, 8 oz jars, the jam is a light, shimmering pink and the strawberry flavor is clear and distinct. Given how easy this was and how well it turned out, we are now looking forward to blueberries in July and peaches in August.

The Return of the Farmer’s Market

Last year, the town started hosting a farmers market in the town hall parking lot. This resumed this past week and will be held every Friday from now until mid September. Between the backyard garden, the victory garden, the farmer’s market and the organic cooperative, it will a good while before we need fruits or vegetables from the supermarket. Many towns have these options available, but don’t do a great job of publicizing it. In my case, the town hosts both the farmer’s market and the victory garden. Periodically checking out the township and public library web sites on a regular basis is a good place to start and the following two sites are also very good.

http://www.localharvest.org/

USDA Farmer's Market Search