Strawberry

As part of the Rosaceae family strawberries are a type of rose, not a berry. They are native to the temperature regions of the Northern Hemisphere. Though cultivated varieties are grown throughout the world.

The fruit is high in vitamin C and is widely used in desserts; ice cream, jams, strawberry shortcake, etc.

The Magic Ingredient

Planet; Venus

Chakra; Sacral

Sign; Scorpio

Element; water

Magic; fertility, dedication, luck and love

Strawberry Jam

Yield:

5 cups

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled

4 cups white sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

Step 1

In a wide bowl, crush strawberries in batches until you have 4 cups of mashed berry. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

To test for jelling

Place three plates in a freezer. After about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to the freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate. If you can make a line through it with your finger it's ready to be canned!

* As per usual please be very careful when thinking of ingesting herbs, plants and flowers

**Please consult your family doctor or a professional if you are not certain of anything