Kit’s Fruity Freezer Jam
We are so happy that you have joined us for our next program for our inaugural exhibit, American Girl: 35 Years of Strong Characters.
For today’s program, we will be making Fruity Freezer Jam, a recipe brought to us by one of American Girl’s resourceful characters, Kit. Her story takes place during the Great Depression.
Today’s recipe can be found in Kit's Cooking Studio. The following ingredients and directions make two to four jars. We hope you enjoy Kit’s Fruity Freezer Jam.
Ingredients
20 ounces fresh strawberries
4 cups sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 pouch liquid pectin
Equipment
Paring knife
Cutting board
Large mixing bowl
Potato masher
Measuring cups and spoons
Wooden spoon
Small mixing bowl
Jars or plastic containers with lids
Directions
Have an adult help you remove the stems from the strawberries with the paring knife. Cut the strawberries in half and put them in the large mixing bowl.
Use the potato masher to crush the berries. Measure 2 cups of crushed berries. (If there’s extra, set it aside—don’t use it in the jam.)
Stir the 4 cups of sugar into the 2 cups of berries. Mix well, and let stand for 10 minutes.
Measure the lemon juice into the small bowl. Add the liquid pectin and stir well.
Add the pectin mixture to the strawberries. Stir well for 3 minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Pour the jam into jars. If you plan to freeze the jam, use plastic containers, and leave a 1/2-inch space at the top of each container.
Cover the jars or containers. Let them sit at room temperature overnight, or until the jam has set. Store the jam for up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator, or freeze it up to 1 year.
Did You Know: During the Great Depression, people often used fruit that was too bruised to be sold in stores for making jam and juice. The fruit cost very little, and it tasted just as good as unburied fruit!
Photo of Kit’s Fruity Freezer Jam | 2007 | American Girl, LLC., U.S.