Jammin with Auntie

Growing up, going to Auntie Harriet's house was always a treat. We'd get to hang out with cousins, watch cool videos, make milkshakes and eat as much toast as we wanted. I remember looking forward to that especially because Auntie always had REAL butter and more often than not, homemade strawberry jam. It captures summer in one bite. Even if it's Christmas time, Auntie could pull out a jar of jam from the freezer and we'd have that fresh strawberry taste in the winter!

I knew it had to be a magical recipe and to me the mere idea of making jam seemed SO hard! Auntie moved back to Wisconsin a few years ago and was out this summer for a visit. I was so excited and asked her to come over and teach me how to make this AMAZING jam of my childhood. She of course happily obliged. I picked up her and my younger cousin Madison on a Tuesday morning. We headed out to the commissary at the LA Air Force base in El Segundo. The pectin that we used for the jam, Surejell, was cheaper there by about $4 a box! We bought 7 with the intention to jam away! We also picked up 16 lbs of strawberries. I was committed!

Auntie, Maddie, Hea Bug and I spent the next few hours washing, slicing, mashing, stirring and jarring 7 batches/42 cups of delicious strawberry freezer jam! It's delicious. On toast, in a sammich, on shortcake, in a milkshake, on a spoon... I loved learning something new from Auntie, I will remember how to make jam for my whole life and every time i take a bite, I'll think of her, and my childhood and this awesome day that we spent hanging out and jammin'.

Love you Auntie!