butter and jam

I almost didn’t make jam this year.  I  had made it the last two years and loved the process but I was feeling a bit lazy.  After seeing the plump cherries and the lovely blueberries in the store though, I knew that I would regret not making it once the fruit season was gone.

I did a lot of experimenting the last couple years, figuring out what I liked, what worked and what didn’t.  I discovered that my favorite is cherry.  It is so delicious but the process of pitting all the cherries makes me only make one batch a keep it all for myself.  The resulting jam is totally worth the effort.

Another fave is blueberry, and really the easiest jam to make.  The color stays the same as the months go by and I can make this one faster than any other.  Sort through the berries, stick it in the food processor and you’re ready to roll.

I always use a low-sugar pectin so I’m not adding loads of sugar.   To prep the jars, I sterilize them in the dishwasher and make sure the jars are still hot when I fill them with the hot jam mixture.  You will soon hear the delightful popping of the lids, telling you that the jars are properly sealed.

The day after making the jam, I was chatting with friends about how their family makes butter in the blender.  Whip cream until it separates and you’ve got an amazing sweet butter.  Of course, after talking about this, I just had to go home and try it.  I used the stand mixer and in 10 minutes, I had fresh butter to go with my homemade jam and some scones.  It was the easiest thing, but I felt like Martha Stewart.

The last few days have been filled with fresh jam, making me so happy that I didn’t let my laziness get the better of me.

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