I’ve been spending my Tuesdays and Fridays picking strawberries, arugula, and salad greens at Jones Valley Urban Farm. Crawling out of bed around 8:30 is tough for the unemployed, but when I get  there it’s all worth it. For one, the coolest farmer (and the only regular to attend my yoga classes) works there, Charley. We’ve shared a few laughs and waxed philosophical over strawberry sorting many a time. His company softens the blow that I really have no one expecting me to be anywhere at anytime. He’s pictured above with his super hip and cool girlfriend, Julia. Aren’t they the perfect picture of today’s young farmers? I’m thrilled to call such forward thinkers my friends.

During our last conversation over the strawberry bed, Charley happened to drop the word: Jam. I think that’s all he said, but it got the wheels in my head turning. Picking and sorting strawberries into the “goods” (to be sold to local B-ham restaurants) and the “bads” (too soft, too wholly, too green), I got to thinking “what’s going to happen to them?  I took a bag of rescues home, saving them from the compost pile.

First came sorting.Then boiling and bottling.

2lbs strawberries (about four cups)

4 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

I found the recipe quite sweet and might cut back on the sugar next time. Basically, boil for a looong time. My thermometer was broken (I later found out) so I boiled much longer than 20 mins. You want the mixture to come to 220 degree. I don’t think it’s possible to burn (comment if I’m wrong) just be sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom by stirring every so often. Since most people seem to under cook their jam and it comes out more like soup, I’d ere on the side of overcooking rather than under.

And what’s strawberry jam without homemade biscuits. These tasted great the day they came out of the oven, but by day two kinda sucked. I’m still perfecting my recipe, so I’ll get back to you on it. They did photograph well though.