I went On KATU afternoon live to make my Strawberry Cucumber Freezer Jam from Preservation Pantry. Now is the perfect time to make this jam because both strawberries and cucumbers are available at the farmers market. https://katu.com/afternoon-live/cooking-recipes/strawberry-freezer-jam-with-a-kick Illustration By Brooke Weeber, The Little Canoe PRESERVATION PANTRY: Modern Canning from Root to Top & Stem to Core by Sarah Marshall (Regan Arts) STRAWBERRY CUCUMBER FREEZER JAM This is the only jam in which I use store-bought pectin, because the cold fruit pectin helps set the jam, while keeping the cooling, crisp attributes of the cucumber. When working with strawberries, I find it best to macerate them by letting them sit in the sugar and lemon for a few minutes. I made this jam for a local doughnut shop and the owners filled their churros with it for a lovely sweet and spicy treat. 1½ pounds strawberries 2¼ cups blended cucumber (about 1 pound, 5 ounces cucumbers) ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, divided (from about 2 small lemons) 2 cups plus 3 tablespoons cane sugar 9 tablespoons real fruit instant pectin 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt 3 fresh red Thai chilies Makes 6 half-pints Wash the freezer-safe jars or plastic half-pints. At the preparation station, wash the strawberries and remove the tops. Peel and seed the cucumbers. Then blend the cucumbers in a blender. Wash and juice the lemons. In a large glass mixing bowl, whisk together 2 cups of cane sugar, pectin, and 1 teaspoon of salt until evenly mixed. Set aside. In a 4-quart glass baking dish, place the strawberries, the remaining 3 tablespoons of cane sugar, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Use a potato masher to combine; let sit for 10 minutes. While the strawberries are macerating, put the blended cucumber, chilies, and the remaining ¼ cup of lemon juice into the blender and process on high until smooth. Add the strawberry and cucumber mixtures to the bowl. Mix well for 3 minutes. Use a funnel and ladle to fill each jar, leaving 1 inch of headspace, if freezing the recipe. This jam can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or frozen for up to 1 year. TIP: Check the baking/canning aisle of your grocery store for real fruit instant pectin.
