Make strawberry freezer jam

There's nothing that says old-fashioned and traditional like making your own strawberry jam. And since we're in the middle of strawberry season, I figured it would be the best time for this bit of advice.

I make my jam as my mother taught me: I simply follow the recipe and instructions in the Certo package. I use light Certo because it asks for a little bit less sugar. And less sugar, of course, means more strawberries.

I also choose to make the no-cook, freezer jam, because the strawberries, unlike with cooked jams, keep their nutrients. Plus, you don't need to sterilize the jars.

You will need:

- 4 cups fresh strawberries
- 3 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 package Certo light

Clean and hull strawberries. Crush them using a potato masher. 

Measure 4 cups of strawberries into a bowl. Mix the Certo with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Add to strawberries. Let rest, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. 

Add the remaining 3 cups of sugar, and stir for 3 minutes. Put in jars, and seal with lid. Let stand at room temperature for 24 hours, or until set.  

Here's why I love making my own:

- At about 2$ a jar for great quality jam, with no preservatives and no artificial colouring, why not? (Oh, and here's a little note: can you believe that manufactured jam actually has food colouring added in it? I mean, why? It's berries!)

- It's one of the few things I can make in the kitchen without using any electricity. When I made jam last summer, the power actually went out, and I remember feeling really excited, thinking, "This is great! It'll be just like when my grandmother was young, and people were actually making things with their own hands, being completely self-sufficient!" Then I realized I didn't have enough sugar, and as the grocery store nearby was closed (obviously unable to function without electricity), I had to get in the car and drive to another one.

- I get a whole day to myself to just putter around the kitchen. My husband takes the kids to his parents' house, as I cannot imagine being able to work the three stations of cleaning, crushing, and mixing strawberries with an eighteen-month-old running around. "Just picture her pulling one of the bowls off the table and getting five cups of crushed strawberries with pectin on her head!" I told him. This morning he packed the kids up and left just as soon as they were dressed.

- Finally, I just love the end result:

Happy strawberry season!

Oh, and p.s. For all my Québec city friends, I went and picked the strawberries myself, at La Ferme Genest . It's a wonderful place for families. Also, they make the best loaves of whole wheat bread I have ever eaten. The flavour reminds me of old-fashioned flour grinding mills. If you ever go, do try one.

Do you have a special recipe you make with strawberries this time of year? Please leave a comment below.