Easy no-cook Strawberry Freezer Jam

Our local grocery store had an amazing deal on strawberries: 

8lbs for $2.99

So of course I couldn't resist, and bought 3 flats (or 24 lbs)

I've always wanted to make freezer jam, and lasts year's halapeno jam was not a big hit around here. After talking to some friends, I decided to use Ball's RealFruit Instant Pectin. 

This instant pectin uses about half the sugar as some of the other brands, and the biggest plus: no cooking involved. This means, no vitamins or flavor lost. And these strawberries are super sweet. 

I used the recipe from the Ball's container, but doubled it for each batch, as I will be making about 30 half pints. Each double recipe uses about 2 lbs of strawberries. The first thing to do is take out the top and clean them. I then dried them off a bit, before putting them in my Blendtec Blender and mashing them up. Much better than using a potato masher!

Then mix 1 1/3 cup of sugar with 4 Tbsp of Instant Pectin, and add the mashed strawberries to it. Now the most time consuming part: stir for 3 minutes. 

 You can store your jam in any airtight container, but I prefer to use the disposable kind (like glad or ziplock). I found a 6 pack Kroger brand for $1.97.

Just transfer the jam to the containers, making sure to keep about 1/2" at the top, allowing for expansion.  The double recipe will fill four 8oz containers.

 Put on the top, and they're ready for the freezer. Each batch only takes about 15 minutes.

Cost for 30- 8oz containers:
Strawberries: $5.98
Pectin: $10 (about 2 bottles at $5.15 each)
Containers: $10
Sugar: 10 cups = 4.5 lbs - $2.88

Total= $28.86 - or less than $1 per 8oz container!!!

And a video tutorial

Trailer

When you have a husband like Joe, and he comes home with a stack of metal tubes with the announcement: "I'm building a trailer in the next 3 weeks", you should believe him. Cause that's exactly what Joe did. One day we were talking about our upcoming camping trip to Moab, and the next day he had purchases a bunch of steel for the frame.

Joe is a very precise and meticulous worker. Especially when it comes to building things. In case of building a trailer, this is a very desired attribute. When you are quickly trying to fix up a house, it is not. (aka, until he can envision perfection, nothing gets done) After many measurements, he made the bottom frame. It was looking kind of bare without the tires.

Ginger helped with the welding

Expanded metal mesh for the bottom and sides

The first time we tested the trailer, was on the 4 hour drive down to Moab. It drove nearly perfectly, although it does need some shocks.

Pretty impressive right?

Toddling

Miles is quickly turning from a sweet baby, into a mischievous toddler.

He likes to explore and know how things work. Often you can just see his little brain working to figure something out.

He can be super sweet and will give me sweet kisses, and he can also test the boundaries. When I say "no", he gets this grin on his face that just makes me laugh.

He loves playing with my computer, or any other electronics.

He is fascinated by the trash can, and will throw away fridge magnets any chance he gets.

In the last 2 weeks, he's gone from shake 2-3 steps, to confidently walking all the way across the room and back.

He loves to play with the silliest and simplest items. While camping his favorite toys were an old soda can and Ginger's flip flops

He knows the sign for "milk", but uses it also to say he wants something to eat.

He is still going #2 in the toilet, as long as I catch him right when he needs to go. He prefers it over going in his diaper.

He is a super cute giggler, and loves it when his big brother and sisters play with him.

He will eat anything, except dinner. (especially paper)

He will spit out everything at least once, before eating it.

His chubby cheeks are still here!

He fits right into this family with his adventurous personality

We are so blessed to have him in our family!