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Saving the Seasons

Have you noticed the beautifully covered book on our sidebar?

This last week I read through my own copy of Saving the Seasons and have enjoyed browsing the recipes. I appreciate beautiful food photography and I've been admiring the attractive photos of the fresh from the garden bounty and creative displays of preserved foods. Saving the Seasons is a brand new book published by Herald Press. It is written by Mary Clemens Meyer and Susanna Meyer a mom and daughter team. Together they have taken a step by step approach to preserving locally grown foods.

Spring is the perfect time of year to go through your freezer to use up the berries, fruits and veggies from last season to make room for this years produce.
I found one last package of frozen strawberries. . .allowed them to thaw and then used the strawberry jam recipe in the Saving the Seasons.





If you get started early in the season and take advantage of fruits and vegetables when they are at their peak at your local farm market. . .you'll save both money and time later on.
Nothing can match the flavour of home preserving. Saving the Seasons has valuable tips that making your home canning and preserving a success.

While I was in the section on drying foods, I remembered that somewhere up in our attic is a food dryer and I'm wondering now why its been up there for so long. Years ago it was used to dry bananas, plums and apples and this year I plan to add tomatoes for their Sun Gold Tomato Mayonnaise.



Strawberry Jam


  • 5 cups crushed strawberries ( I used up my berries in the freezer, I allowed them to thaw before measuring them)
  • 7 cups sugar
  • 1 box powdered pectin
  • 1/2 teaspoon butter
  1. Wash, stem and crush strawberries. Measure exact amount into a large cooking pot.
  2. Into a separate bowl measure the sugar. . .exactly.
  3. Stir pectin into the pot. . .add the butter.
  4. Bring to a full rolling boil that doesn't stop bubbling when you are stirring.
  5. Quickly stir in sugar and boil exactly 1 minute. . .stirring constantly.
  6. Remove from heat and skim foam from the surface of the jam.
  7. Use a 1 cup measuring cup to fill your jars. . leave a 1/2 space.
  8. Apply lids and tighten down.
  9. I always allow to cool completely and then keep them in the freezer.
  10. If you do not freeze. . process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Makes 8 half pint jars.

12 comments:

  1. The book sounds great and that jam looks wonderful!!

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  2. This is rather timely for me: I'm picking up 30 pounds of frozen strawberries for our little graduation party next Saturday. Maybe I'll have leftovers to make jam or I'll just order another 30#!!

    The book looks wonderful.

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  3. Lovella,I looked in my freezer the other day...and said, "It's time to make that raspberry jam."
    Those are some good tips around frozen berries.

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  4. A canning and preserving guide is a great idea...especially for all those who have not grown up in a kitchen where canning and jam-making were the norm. I can think of a few girls who would love a copy of this book! Thanks for sharing.

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  5. if you are just going to be putting this jam in the freezer - try freezer jam pectin instead - it's half the sugar you use for boiled jams and tastes much more like fresh berries.

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  6. oh this book sounds like it would be a good thing to have for us that are not that familiar with canning.
    i love the jam recipe....i will check my local "ten thousand villages" and see if they carry it.

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  7. I agree with "Anon" who mentioned freezer pectin.. It calls for only 1 1/2 c. of sugar!done in a few minutes of stirring. Makes excellent waffle, ice cream topping, and smoothies! The best thing it tastes just like fresh berries!.... but hubby? He prefers the "old way" of strawberry jam; so I make both!

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  8. What a great gift idea for young wives (and anyone actually) since home canning is coming back into vogue.
    I often freeze fresh in summer and then make jam as I need it. In winter the kitchen is cool and it seems like much less work and also a treat to have fresh jam!

    Great review , Lovella !!

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  9. I enjoy canning and preserving so will have to purchase this book. I love the colours on the cover. Your jam looks yummy....any fresh buns? This year I had just the right amount of fruit in the freezer, but will do a check to see what needs to be used up to make room for this years harvest. I love this season!

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  10. I am so glad to see a recipe book dedicated to preserving foods. I had a quick look at it one day and saw that it also gives some great ideas on how to do 'make ahead' meals. Whether it's homemade jams, canned fruit and vegetables or meal planning . . . it's so helpful to have beautiful pictures to inspire the experienced and the new cook.

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  11. I love to make my own jam and just recently made a triple berry jam that included fresh strawberries (in season!), blueberries (had frozen from last year), and raspberries. Its GREAT to do canning and like you said can save you alot of money!

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  12. Sounds like this book has a lot of great ideas!
    Fresh strawberry jam is always a treat!

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