Recipe: Super-Easy Low-Sugar/No-Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam

So I still haven't gotten a new phone (:::sigh::: The Budget says "NO!"), and I'm still too lazy to drag out the "real" camera (and find the USB cable, and transfer the files, and yada-yada). So you'll just have to settle for Crappy Droid Pics!

And besides, I have a dilemma in that I really don't have a "pretty spot" to take good pictures anyway! Some of the bloggers I follow take simply *scrumptious* photos of their "Works-In-Progress" on their simply-gorgeous-shiny stainless steel gas ranges, and their "Finished Products" on their expansive granite countertops and/or clutter-free dining tables...

I have None-of-the-Above! I have a nice, new-ish white glass cooktop stove (and I can still hear my mom's voice, echoing in my head "DON'T GET WHITE! It'll be impossible to keep clean!"), consequently, WHILE I'm cooking, the cooktop is generally a glopped-up mess and ("Yes, Mom. You were right!") I have to scrub the hell out of it EVERY time I use it! I also have a gouged-up late-70's vintage off-white Formica countertop. And forget about the "clutter-free" dining table!

Now I *do* have an expansive and lovely quartz countertop in the bathroom. But it just seems kinda weird to take Food Pictures in the bathroom - dont'cha think?!

Oops. I'm rambling again, aren't I?!

Okay, okay: Well, here's my lousy/lame excuse for a photo:

I think the "artfully placed" placemat kinda helps!

Anywaaaaayyy, I promised a recipe, so here it is! It was so quick and so easy, I am tempted to call it "cheating!"

The grocery store had strawberries (YESSS! Local even!) on sale. "Buy One Get One Free" so I picked up a couple of 16 oz tubs. I looked for rhubarb but, alas, there was none. So this afternoon, I decided to make:

Super-Easy Low-Sugar/No-Cook Strawberry Freezer Jam

Yield: Appx 4 half-pints

Ingredients

• 2 (16 oz) baskets of fresh strawberries.
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup Splenda
  Note: This is waaaay less sweetener than the Ball recipe called for - but I think it's perfect!
• 4 Tbs "Instant" Pectin (mine was Ball brand and came in a little plastic jar)

Instructions

1. Rinse, core and slice the strawberries. Make sure it measures out to appx 4 cups
2. Start smashing some of the strawberries (a layer at a time) in a medium sized bowl. I used a potato masher.
   Note: You don't have to thoroughly mush them (in fact, it's better to leave at least 1/3 of the berries somewhat-recognizable - IMHO)
3. Sprinkle sugar on the smashed strawberries as you go.
4. Let 'em set 'n sweat for appx 5 minutes.
5. Mix the Splenda with the Pectin in a separate small bowl.
6. Dump the Splenda/Pectin mixture on your now-soupy strawberry mess and mix thoroughly.
7. The Ball Jar said let it set-up for 5 minutes. I didn't, I just started spooning it into the freezer jars - leaving 1/2" headspace, then tossed 'em in the freezer.

VOILA! Super-fresh tasting Low-Sugar Strawberry Jam - that took a whopping 15 minutes to throw together (Yayyy!)