We be jammin' . . .

We made jam today.  Yesterday we picked berries and today, after several hours we have more than enough to fill the freezer and to share.  There would have been several more batches, but I ran out of sugar and jars.  Restocked tonight before I came home from work and am ready to get going again tomorrow morning.  Seven pounds of raspberries and six pounds of strawberries go a long way.

It wasn't one of my brightest moves – suggesting we trek out the U-pick at Dreideger Farms, but we did it.  Perhaps not so smart today suggesting we start the jam making process.  It's been between 29 and 31 degrees these last few days.  I was sticky, sweaty, hot mess by the time we were done.  I told the young fellow at the weigh in station that it felt like my sweat was sweating.

I remember making jam with my mom.  Crush, stir, wait, stir, pour, seal, wait.  Sometimes, if it was a cool enough day, she'd make fresh bread and we always had fresh butter.  When it was all said and done we'd get to have a good size slice of fresh bread slathered with butter and jam.  Oh, sweet summer bliss.  When I tell my kids the stories they can hardly believe it.  There are always lots of questions and comments.  They enjoy it when I talk about things I did as a kid and that once upon a time their bamma made jam.

Making jam is like creating a little miracle in jar.  You get everything ready and then you say little prayer that it'll set.  I have had batches not set – still tastes as good, just really, really, really runny.   Part of my prayer is also just thanks and gratefulness that I have the means to make jam in the first place.  And now that my kids are bit older I have this wonderful opportunity to create these great memories with them.  They get to be part of the crush, stir, eat, stir, pour, seal, and wait.  The waiting is hard for them so I gave them each a spoonful of un-jarred product.  The looks on their faces was priceless.  When they realized that we had created something, and that they had helped, it was as though a light had turned on in their eyes.

Back to the miracle in a jar – you start with a few simple ingredients.  Berries, sugar, pectin, lemon juice.  On their own, enjoyable and or useful.  Put together – amazing.  Sweet, sticky, mouth watering goodness.  Sunshine in jar – a mini miracle.  When it sets, it's berry perfection.  And then, depending on how much you manage to make, you get to enjoy it over and over and over again.  One little jar at a time.  Reliving the special memories you made.  Good times and happy memories.

As I was setting jars aside to fill I noticed something that brought happy tears.  Last summer my grandpa gave me a bag of jars.  They were my grandma's.   In doing something that brought such great memories and stories, this was like an extra little hug from heaven.  My heart ached a little and then it smiled.  I was holding a jar that grandma used before she forgot.  She always had a huge stock of jams, jellies, and canning that we would get to choose from whenever we visited, which was often.  More wonderful memories.

Regardless of the heat, I am so grateful that I got to make yummy jam and even better memories with my kids.   I am thankful that we can do things like this together and that maybe someday they will make jam with their kids and remember making jam with me.