Jammin'

Two months ago we ran out of strawberry jam.  I have plenty of raspberry jam in the freezer, mind you, but my children inform me that raspberry and strawberry are two totally different things.  They eat strawberry jam on pancakes or anything pancake-like, and it's the only thing they will ever let me put on a sandwich.  Needless to say, they have had some very sorry home lunches the past two months.  (Just try making a lunch without a sandwich, that requires no refrigeration and can't include cheese).  Why not just buy more, you might ask?  The simple answer is that I am a jam snob.  I haven't eaten store-bought jam...well...ever, really, except maybe at a restaurant or someone else's house.  My mom always makes jam, but hers is cooked.  When I got married and moved out on my own I discovered the bliss that is freezer jam.  Just like fresh strawberries (O.K., strawberries with a lot of sugar--even better) smothered on homemade bread.  I was hooked.

So, today, I'm up to my elbows in strawberries.  Yesterday I was at the store buying celery and some rolls for a new recipe I was making for dinner (Easy Cheesy Chicken Rolls--delicious and all that the name promises) when a display in the produce section caught my eye.  Strawberries by the case, on sale for only $7.77!  I quickly grabbed a cart and stacked three cases in it, debated whether that was too much, then decided I'd better err on the side of caution.  

I now have 9 containers of the yummy stuff sitting on my kitchen table awaiting the mandatory 24 hours of sitting-on-the-table time before they can be put in the freezer.  What happens if you put it in the freezer prematurely, I don't dare find out.  And I still have almost two cases of strawberries left to convert to jam.  I may have over-estimated a bit at the store in my desperation to make sure I never run out again.  Guess I know what I'll be doing tomorrow!