~ Peach Freezer Jam ~

Peach Freezer Jam

After enjoying a great week at the Cape (Cape Cod) it's time to finish preparing the Freezer Jams to enjoy during the other months of the year.  Now, it is peach season!  The local crop is so sweet, juicy and just plain yummy.  This past Thursday at our Farmers' Market, I purchased enough of this fresh fruit to make a batch of Peach Freezer Jam and also more that we could enjoy now.

They were not quite ripe, so 3 peaches were placed inside a brown paper lunch bag and the top closed.  In 2 days they riped, so the fresh peaches were placed in the fridge.

Ripening Peaches
(File Photo)

Yesterday, 7  peaches were used to prepare the delicious jam!  The sugar, lemon juice and Certo (liquid pectin) were all placed in their places on my kitchen counter.  The mixing bowls, spoons and measuring cups were added, along with the clean containers & lids.  I was getting down to business!  It was time to prepare the Peach Freezer Jam!!

After rinsing the peaches under cool water, the skins were removed.  It is easier to remove the skins if you place each peach in a pot of simmering water for about 60 seconds.  A slotted spoon comes in handy here to place it in the water and also to remove it.  Let the peaches cool a little on a plate lined with a paper towel.

Use a sharp knife and peel the skin.  Cut peach into slices.  Then, it's mashing time!  Mash the slices (a few at a time) with a (potato) masher.  Measure out needed amount and add to the required sugar in a large bowl.  Then, I was on my way to follow the rest of the directions that are included in the package of Certo.

~My Hints~  are handy to read!

Freezer Jam is just so delicious!  I am not a fan of commercial brands.  While growing up, my mom, sister & I always prepared jam the "cook over the stove" method.  For years now, I've been making Freezer Jams.  Yes, they are that good!!

***After following the directions, exactly (that are located in the Certo box) the jam containers then sit undisturbed for 24 hours.  After that time they are placed in the freezer.

Yes, I was daydreaming about the surf crashing on the shore two weeks ago at Nauset Light Beach while making jam yesterday.  We did see seals swimming at Nauset Beach, Coast Guard Beach and Nauset Light Beach.  It has been the summer of sharks looking for seals in the waters at the Cape.

Nauset Light Beach
at the Cape (Cape Cod)

My Peach Freezer Jam is now in our large freezer.  We'll enjoy it along with the Strawberry & Blueberry Jams in the coming year.  Hopefully, again, there is enough to last until next June!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

                 

Freezing Blueberries & Jam

Local Blueberries!

The local Blueberries are now available!  That was the signal to me to get busy!  I purchase this yummy sweet fruit and then clean/ freeze the berries to place in Ziploc Freezer bags and we enjoy them in the coming months.  After going through each pint of berries, they are triple washed and then drained.  Packing them away and then placing the labelled bags on "their" shelf in our large freezer.

No, not all of the berries are frozen.  There's still snacking going on and also Blueberry Freezer Jam was prepared.  Each of 3 batches was prepared separately.  After the 24 hour time period, the containers of Jam were also placed in the freezer.  Looking back, I've been preparing Freezer Jam for probably 40 years.  For me it sure is a LOT easier than stirring the mixture over a hot stove on a HHH summer day.  Easy works so well.  This jam is just so yummy!

CERTO is the liquid fruit pectin that I use.  The preparation directions are located inside each box.

CERTO

The key things to remember here:

• Use clean utensils, containers.
• Prepare each batch separately.
• Have ALL ingredients ready to use.
• Follow Directions EXACTLY.

This year I discovered that I had a medley of freezer containers to use.  It was time to place "freezer containers" on my grocery list!

Blueberry Freezer Jam

 Homemade Jam is just the best!!!  Fortunately for us, this year we did not run out of our supply before the first of the new Freezer Jams (Strawberry) was prepared in June.

Do you freeze the local fruit in the summer?  Do you prepare Freezer Jams?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

        

Yummy Blueberry Freezer Jam

Doing their "thing" for the 24 hour time period.

Homemade Jam! Yum!  It's mid July & earlier this week it was Blueberry Freezer Jam time!  You might say I'm big on tradition.  Definitely that's true in the summer when I buckle down to make the Freezer Jams.  There's a time & place for everything and it's jam time.  Homemade jams taste so much better than the commercial brands. 

Sunday afternoon brought the yearly drive to Calabrese Farms in Southwick, MA to purchase the fresh local Blueberries. 

No longer do I pick them.  It's so much easier to drive out to Southwick & purchase them directly.  Most of the pints did fit inside the large box- to make it easier to carry.  But the last container needed "special treatment", so the blueberries wouldn't spill out all over the trunk of our car.  :) 

After arriving home, it was time for Blueberries, Part II.  Most of the sweet, delicious, blue, juicy berries were washed, drained, packaged in freezer bags & labelled to place in our large freezer.  My year's supply will be enjoyed, especially during the cold winter months.

Not all of these sweet pieces of fruit were frozen.  There's the Blueberries saved for cereal at breakfast this week, the Blueberries for a batch of muffins & also a torte.  And... da da the Blueberries for my Blueberry Freezer Jam.

Freezer Jam is the much easier method to make jam on a hot humid summer day.  It's prepared & then sits undisturbed for 24 hours before placing in the freezer.     

On Monday the CERTO (liquid fruit pectin), Lemon Juice, Sugar & Blueberries in the fridge were collected to begin. The directions for Freezer Jams are found inside the CERTO box along with 2 pouches of the liquid fruit pectin.  My circular 1 cup Ziploc containers had been purchased on amazon a couple months ago- after learning that they are not manufactured any longer.   

Preparing 1 batch at a time, I followed the directions, exactly.  The 1 cup containers & lids had been washed & dried.  I also looked at My Hints before I started.  Click here to view My Hints.  

Preparing Blueberry Freezer Jam
(File Photo)

Now, there are 19 containers of yummy Blueberry Freezer Jam stored in our freezer, along with the Strawberry Freezer Jam.   

Have you made Freezer Jam yet?  It's so good!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Blueberry Freezer Jam

Waiting for Certo/ Lemon Juice to be added.

Was just jammin today.  Well more like listening to Rod Stewart, Billy Joel & Bruce Springsteen while making Blueberry Freezer Jam.  It's Blueberry season here!  The time to purchase the fresh local blueberries from Calabrese Farms in Southwick, MA.  It's just a short drive away.

Calabrese Farms

It's a tradition for me to prep & freeze the sweet yummy local berries & also make the year's supply of Blueberry Jam!  3 batches each made separately was accomplished this afternoon.  Now the freezer containers are sitting on our dining room table for the 24 hour period - basically making itself!

Suddenly this past spring, there no longer were containers of my homemade jam on the top shelf of our large freezer.  The good news was that we enjoyed it.  The bad news was that a commercial brand needed to be purchased.  Well, it doesn't have a consistency nor a flavor that we are fond of... at all.  I've been waiting for the fresh local fruit to ripen!  The Certo liquid fruit pectin was purchased weeks ago along with containers & Sugar.  ***The directions are found in the Certo box!  I was almost good to go!  Yesterday, the fresh local Blueberries needed to be purchased from Calabrese Farms.

After arriving, I headed to the blueberries:

Pints & Pints & More Pints of Blueberries!

2 trays (24 pints) were purchased.  Enough to enjoy now, prep for the freezer & make Freezer Jam.  A discounted price was available with the larger quantity. :)  

Yesterday was Day 1 - freeze the year's supply of Blueberries.  Today was Freezer Jam Day.  Tomorrow afternoon at the designated times, the 3 batches of Blueberry Freezer Jam will be placed on the top shelf of our freezer - next to the Strawberry Freezer Jam. 

This is a great time of year with all of the local veggies & fruit!  It's great to enjoy them now & also prep/ freeze them to enjoy later!

Enjoy!
Yummy!