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"Holy Strawberry Batman, We're in a Jam!
(continued from Jams)

Around here we pick the fresh fruit in the garden or in the bush. Throw out the over or under ripe berries, and don't eat too much when you are picking. Clean the fruit and make sure there are no stems or leaves in the basket.

Some berries are crushed; some don't need crushing; and some fruit has to be cut up. Once the fruit is ready, you put it in a big pot along with the right amount of sugar. The sugar is critical to the gelling process: too much sugar and you can't taste the fruit; too little and it won't gel. It all depends on the acid in the fruit.

The acid and the fruit combine to make the jam "jam". Some fruits (apples, crabapples, gooseberries and some plums) have enough pectin to gel on their own. Others, such as strawberries, blueberries, and cherries, must be combined with high-pectin fruits or have pectin added. Corn syrup and honey can mask fruit flavour, so we don't use them.

Cook the berries until they "pop", or what the Ojibway call "baashkminsigan". We just bring it to the proper temperature for the type of fruit we are using.

Sterilize the jars. Lots of hot boiling water and let them 'cook' for a while. Make sure you put the caps and seals in too.

Fill the HOT JARS with jam and cap with a hot lid. Twist tight! Let cool. Attach labels and store in a cool dry place.