seeing red

Strawberry season is in full swing here. The deep red color throughout the freshly picked fruit as well as the intense flavor puts the strawberries one can purchase in the grocery store to shame. I have been busy freezing whole strawberries for summer ice cream and smoothies. So far I have also made 36 half-pint jars of strawberry jam, both with Splenda and with sugar. Why so many? I tend to share the jam with friends and family. I love the smell of the fruit when it is simmering on the stove, the red stain on my wooden spoon, and hearing the snap-pop of the lids when they seal as the jam cools in the jars.