Cook Club: Strawberry jam preserves seasonal fruit

This is my favorite time of year; spring is turning to summer and the bounty of Iowa's farms and gardens is beginning to show. One early summer crop I especially love is strawberries.

Just as there is no contest between a fresh garden tomato and a pale store-bought winter tomato, there is no comparison between the flavors of a freshly-picked Iowa strawberry and a store-bought berry shipped from California. This is not to knock California's berries — it's just pointing out the sad truth that in order to get to our shelves and still be edible, those berries need to be picked before they reach full ripeness and full flavor.

I didn't even know what I was missing in strawberries until I visited u-pick farm last summer and tasted a bright red berry straight from the field, juicy and flavorful and still warm from the sun.

I always love finding ways to preserve local flavors and produce to enjoy throughout the year, and jam is a great way to do this with fruit. I'm nervous about canning, so I stuck with freezer jam for this recipe.

Making jam is one of those things that I never realized would be so easy. Now that I've done it, I might never buy the store-bought stuff again. This recipe makes about 2.5 pints, and I stored it in half-pint jars — one to eat right now, a couple to give away and a couple to store for winter. I can't wait to thaw a jar in January and get an instant taste of Iowa in June.

Want to pick your own berries? Area u-pick farms report they should have strawberries this week or next; Genoa Bluffs Farm in Marengo hopes to open for customers today, while Oakland Mills Berry Farm in Mount Pleasant has already started picking. Heartland Farms in Waterloo, meanwhile, anticipates a June 5 start date. It is always a good idea to call ahead to make sure farms are open and have strawberries.

Eastern Iowa u-pick strawberry farms:

• Annie's Acres Strawberries, 30327 Mill Creek Rd., Bellevue, (563) 872-5652, facebook.com/AnniesAcresStrawberries

• Bagge Strawberries, 2029 170th St., Independence, (319) 334-3983, baggestrawberries.com

• Genoa Bluffs Pumpkin Farm, 2168 HH Ave., Marengo, (319) 668-8447, genoabluffspumpkinfarm.com

• Heartland Farms, 5111 Osage Rd., Waterloo, (319) 232-3779, heartlandfarmswaterloo.com

• Oakland Mills Berry Farm, 1738 265th St., Mount Pleasant, (319) 986-6071, http://bit.ly/27QRx51

• Pride of the Wapsi, 14600 305th St., Long Grove, (563) 285-8180, prideofthewapsi.com

STRAWBERRY FREEZER JAM

Four cups whole strawberries

Four cups sugar

1 packet fruit pectin (I used Sure-Jell; recipe should be adjusted per instructions provided with pectin if using a different brand.)

Wash strawberries and remove stems. Crush — I used a blender, but a hand-held masher would also work. Stop when you have two cups mostly liquid strawberries. Stir in four cups sugar and let sit 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will seem like a lot of sugar, and the temptation to reduce it will be strong, but be sure to measure exact amounts or jam may not set properly. If you want a reduced sugar option, buy pectin labeled for reduced or no-sugar recipes. Optional: to make basil or thyme jam, also stir in thinly shredded fresh herbs.

In a saucepan, stir together one package pectin and 3/4 cup water — the pectin may be lumpy at first. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously, and boil for 1 minutes, continuing to stir.

Add pectin to fruit, stir 3 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and jam is no longer grainy. Fill containers, leaving 1/2 inch at top to allow for expansion when freezing. Refrigerate up to three weeks or freeze up to one year.

Makes about five cups jam, or about 2.5 pints.

Source: Sure-Jell Premium Fruit Pectin

l Comments: (319) 398-8434; alison.gowans@thegazette.com