Strawberries: Preserving the Harvest class

Preserving the harvest is something you might have heard your grandmother talk about, but in our modern day culture, we don’t think of doing that on our own these days. Taking ownership of your food and how it is made can be a wonderful feeling that might lead to other changes along the way.

I have taken an unofficial poll of all the families that have joined us over the last 2 years in our jam making class. I asked if they had ever canned anything before and 85% of them have not. Some remember their grandmother doing it and some had no experience at all. Next, I asked why they signed up for the class or what they hoped to gain from the experience. Most of them were a little afraid of canning and thought it would be a big undertaking with all the “stuff” required. Some were actually afraid of canning and wanted their children to experience it in an environment where somebody knew what they were doing!

Our canning class here at The Giles Frontier is one of my favorites because of the joy it brings to parents and children alike. Boys, girls, moms, and dads, have all joined us and many come back for blueberry canning too. Sharing a new skill that will serve people in different ways is such a pleasure and very rewarding.

There is something special that happens when you gather people together, many who have never met, and watch the friendships and fun develop. What a blessing it is to experience.

You may be joining us online for this class, but make no mistake, you will feel like you are right there with us in the backyard experiencing every moment.

Your kids are never too old to pick berries or learn something new with their mama. My boys and I started picking berries when my oldest was four. He is now sixteen and this is a photo from our recent trip to a strawberry farm.

If you have a question about ANY of the videos in this class, please post them below in the comment section.  I will answer you as soon as I can!

  • Print out your supply list with some handy information below in the links section. Depending on the pectin you choose, please follow the directions on the box. We prefer Pomona’s Pectin because it is more natural and allows us to use less sugar or honey as the sweetener.
  • If you have the opportunity to visit a strawberry farm, print out our worksheet before you go.
  • Strawberry jam can be made with frozen berries, fresh from the grocery store, farmer’s market or picked by you and your family.
  • Print our favorite cream cake recipe that we use for shortcake with fresh berries.
  • Print out our lid labels for the top of regular lid jars and wide mouth jars.

Enjoy!

Resources for this lesson

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