Experimenting

I've been making strawberry jam for 24 years. The number of batches made has increased dramatically, but so has the number of helpers to aid in the project. This year I am experimenting. Sure-Jell and Certo are sooooo expensive that I have been pushed into using Pomona Universal Pectin. Two of the girls are trying new recipes for the county fair.

Carissa is making jam using pectin and only honey for the sweetener. The result: Nice texture, good flavor, but people who are not fond of the honey aftertaste will not enjoy this batch. 4 cups of mashed berries and 1 cup of honey did not produce much jam.

Lydia made a low-sugar batch using NY organic strawberries, organic sugar and pectin. (this may impress the county fair judges) It was very tasty.

Mom (me) made two batches of low sugar jam using pectin: 4 cups of berries and 2 cups sugar.

Caroline made 2 batches using Sure-Jell and our regular recipe. What a shock it was using 7 cups of sugar to 5 cups of mashed berries. But this recipe also made more jam.

I think the pectin, low-sugar batch wins from the economic standpoint.

The next stage of the testing will take place over the year, when jam will be put on pancakes, peanut butter sandwiches, biscuits, etc.....