Homemade Strawberry Lemonade Jam

G and I took a trip last week to a local farm to pick strawberries.  My favorite part, besides eating fresh picked berries, is the delicious, jammy smell of the fields.  The farm smells like a giant jar of strawberry jam.  Just look at the gorgeous berries we collected:

Strawberry Trivia:  They get their name from the straw that farmers place under the plants to reduce rotting

G was quite the strawberry gatherer:

Strawberry picking tip:  wear old, dark colored clothes to prevent staining--picking berries is juicy work!

  Once we returned home, we decided to whip up some jam, using just three ingredients:

We used extra lemon and created a delicious jam the tastes just like Strawberry Lemonade!

Strawberry Lemonade Jam

4 cups strawberries (about 1 1/2 quarts), stems removed
1/4 cup agave nectar (or 1/2 cup sugar)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
pinch of salt

Remove the stems of the strawberries and mash with a fork:

Add the agave nectar and zest, stir well:

Reserve the lemon juice for another use (try it in your ice tea, perhaps?), then place the lemon halves and your strawberry mixture in a sauce pan (the lemon has natural pectin to help thicken the jam).  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, if desired:

Bring to a boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes, uncovered, or until the jam reduces by about half:

 

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.  I am not a canner, but you could can this too!

 

 

Enjoy!  The tartness of the lemon really complements the strawberry-agave flavors.  We've been enjoying this jam all week, we might need to go back to the farm and get more berries!

Life is sweet,

SPC