I made a resolution two years ago to never buy jelly or preserves or pickles ever again. It was partly because we were poorer than we are now and partly because I liked the idea of using fruit that would be otherwise wasted and being able to control the amount of sugar my family was eating. I am proud to say I have, for once, stuck to my damned guns about SOMETHING, and achieved this very tiny goal.
During the summer, it's easy to glean and forage stone fruits and purple berries and there are terrific things happening on the door of our fridge, but by January, I'm busted. There might be a few jars of marmalade for making orange chicken and the kids aren't fans.
I bought 6 lbs. of conventionally grown strawberries for $6 and made a few pints of jam this morning and I feel good and bad about this but mostly okay I guess since the myth of tasteless berries doesn't apply when they are from 120 miles away and only few days old.
It's not hard, if you don't currently jam, and it's a great saver of the mushy fruit (GRAPES!!!) that your kids don't eat. Save the ones from the bottom of the bag that you throw away every single time. Freeze them even.
#incaseyoudontdrinksmoothies
