Making Jam

Katie helped me make a batch of triple berry jam this afternoon.  She was having a great time stirring until things started boiling and getting too hot for her but she did help.

I had an over abundance of jam in the pantry this summer thanks to finding organic jam on clearance at Wegmans for 99 cents a jar.  I bought a dozen of them and was tempted to buy more.  So after picking fruit this summer, we just put most of it in the freezer to make jam later in the year.  We are now at the point where we are in need of more jam so I've been making it this week.  Two batches down, two more to go.

I've had folks assume in the past that the only reason I do things such as canning and cooking from scratch is because we can't afford to feed the kids otherwise.  I just have to say this is very far from the truth.  It's not so much about finding the cheapest way of doing things, it's about finding the healthiest ways of doing things.  I have something against corn syrup in all of our food and frankly like to know what my kids are eating.   If they are eating junk food, I want to know what is in it.  I don't think corn syrup belongs in jams, bread, ice cream, drinks, cans of fruit, salad dressing and cereal.  Or any of the other things it is put in as a cheap sweetener in this country.  I have an issue with all the antibiotics and growth hormones fed to our animals that are meant for human consumption.  We raise chickens not because it is cheaper but because this way we know what is in our eggs.  We avoid buying milk from cows that were given growth hormones.  We are working on finding local sources for more natural foods whenever possible.  Nope, not always cheaper but always healthier.