Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Strawberries are my absolute favorite fruit. They are simply delicious, and beautiful too. Because of this, June is always an exciting month. As the strawberry season winds down, I try to make a batch of strawberry jam to preserve the beauty and flavor of June for many months ahead. In the middle of January, when the sun has been missing for days, it's wonderful to pull out a jar of summer and slather it on a slice of toast. It brings me back to the warmth and beauty of June at least for a few minutes.

Strawberry rhubarb jam is my favorite. You can't really taste the rhubarb, but it adds a nice tartness and complexity to the jam that is missing from plain strawberry jam. I was lucky this year, when I went to buy my strawberries for the jam, the lady at the farm stand told me it was the last day for strawberries. I just made it! Now I have a half dozen gorgeous jars of jam patiently waiting for me. It doesn't get much better than that.

Fresh and delicious

Berry beauties

 For tartness-Rhubarb!

 Cut the top off the berries, and slice them a little smaller

so they're easier to crush

 Crush them up, I use

a potato masher

 Chop up the rhubarb

Put the berries and rhubarb in a 

large pot (along with pectin and some lemon juice)

Bring to a boil, then add the sugar!

Time to fill the jars

Wipe those tops off, we want a good seal

Ready to go

Into the water bath

 All done

Ready to eat

 Perfect on homemade bread for breakfast

Recipe

from the Ball Blue Book

Ingredients

• 4 c strawberries, crushed
• 2 c rhubarb, chopped 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
•  1 (1 3/4 oz) package dry pectin 
• 5 1/2 c sugar

Combine strawberries, rhubarb, lemon juice and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil.

Boil hard 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim foam if necessary.

Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Adjust two-piece caps.

Process 10 minutes in water bath.