Strawberry Vanilla Jam with Honey

 Are you still using pectin you buy in the store? Well STOP IT, there is a better alternative and it's even LESS expensive than the stuff that cost 4 bucks a box. You have to order it but the shipping is fast, even to Alaska. You really need to give Pomona Pectin a try.

Why?

1. it's sold in bulk, so you can buy a bunch of it and always be ready to make jam or jelly
2. you can use low sugar, no sugar, honey or ANY OTHER sweetener
3. the sugar to fruit ratio is low, no more delicious fruit made sickeningly sweet with 9 CUPS of sugar
4. they encourage you to make up your own recipes, they don't tell you to stick to their recipes or else your jam or jelly will fail
5. it always jells because the pectin uses calcium (provided) to set up, no more mystery failures

No one is paying me to say this, I love Pomona Pectin and I think I trot out this little speech every summer. It's not too late to switch and preserve your fruits with their natural flavor. Or um in this case the flavor you add. If you like to make jams and jellies take the plunge and buy a 1/2 of a pound, it will seem like a lot especially if you only use 2 teaspoons for each recipe, but it is ultimately worth it when you can make any jam with any sweetener, even fruit spread for diabetics. And the pectin, as long as it's kept dry and cool, will last indefinitely. 30 dollars once, or 4 bucks every time you want to make super sugary jams and jellies. Once I did the math I figured out it was a true deal and have been sold every since.

 Strawberry Vanilla Jam with Honey

4 cups crushed strawberries
2 teaspoons calcium water
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons Pomona Pectin
1/2 cup honey
jars, lids and rings

start the water boiling in a canning pot for a boiling water bath
wash jars and refill with hot water set aside
wash ring and lids, keep warm in a bowl of water or a sauce pan on the stove
put the berries in a heavy dutch oven
stir in the calcium water and lemon juice
cut the vanilla bean down the middle and scrape the seeds into the berries, stir to evenly distribute, add the pod too
mix the sugar with the pectin and set aside
bring the berries to a rapid boil but be careful not to scorch it
when they are bubbling away pour in the sugar pectin mix, stir vigorously to make sure the pectin gets dissolved
the add the honey, keep stirring until the mixture boils again, boil for 1 minute
then remove from heat, fish out the vanilla bean pod, pour into hot jars, wipe the rims with a wet cloth to remove any spilled jam, then put on a clean lid and screw band, finger tighten
process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes

A friend is coming over tomorrow and we are working on a little project together, involving Pomona Pectin. If it turns out, you'll be reading about it tomorrow night. FUN! And if you want other recipes with Pomona Pectin, check out their website or click the pectin button down below in the labels area.

Peace and Love--