We love to use this simple strawberry jam all year long for everything from PB&J to drizzling over pancakes. Thinner and smoother than traditional jams you can buy at the store, this recipe is easy to stir into frosting, use as a cake filling, or top the drop biscuits. Make a batch (or two!) when strawberries are fresh in season where you live and it will taste like spring every month of the year.

Sweet and Smooth Strawberry Jam Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 2 quarts fresh strawberries
  • 4 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 1 (1.75-ounce) box Sure-Jell Original fruit pectin, or 5 tablespoons powdered pectin

Directions:

  1. Wash and completely dry six 1-cup Mason jars with lids or other similar freezer-safe containers, to hold the jam. Thoroughly wash and drain the strawberries. Use a butter knife to cut off the leafy tops and stems and discard them. Put the strawberries in a large bowl and use a potato masher to crush the berries. Any lumps you see in the bowl will remain in the jam, so mash them as much as you need for the jam consistency you prefer.
  2. Measure exactly 2 cups of mashed berries and place them in a clean mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and let it stand for 10 minutes, stirring once in a while to combine the fruit juices.
  3. Have a timer ready to go for this next step. Set your strawberry bowl next to the stovetop. Place the water in a small saucepan and add the pectin. Stir them to combine and then place the pan over high heat. While stirring constantly, bring the pectin mixture to a boil. When you see large bubbles, set your timer and boil the pectin for 1 more minute, then remove from the heat.
  4. Carefully pour the pectin mixture into the strawberries, using a spatula to scrape the pan and get everything along the sides and bottom of the pan.
  5. Set your timer again and stir the pectin and fruit together for 3 minutes, or until the sugar is mostly dissolved.
  6. Use a clean spoon to fill your freezer-safe containers with the jam while it is still warm. Leave a ½-inch space between the top of the jam and the top of the container; it will expand once it is frozen. Be sure to wipe the outside of the jar with a clean, damp paper towel, then immediately cover each container with the lids. Let them stand at room temperature for 24 hours.
  7. Store the jam in the freezer for up to 12 months. When you want to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
Drop biscuits
Photo: Tiffany Dahle.

Drop Biscuits with Cinnamon-Honey Butter

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 10 tablespoons (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) salted butter, cold, cut into cubes
  • ¾ cup whole milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a cookie pan with parchment paper; set aside.
  2. In your large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar and whisk them together. Add the butter and use two forks to press the butter into the flour. You might find it easier to try pinching it together with clean fingers. Continue to press and mix until the flour starts to stick together and form pea-size pieces.
  3. Pour the milk into the flour mixture and use your fork to stir it together until everything has become evenly wet. Scoop the dough into 8 mounds, about 1/3 cup each. Place them 2 to 3 inches apart on the prepared cookie pan.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a biscuit comes out with a few wet crumbs attached.

Honey Butter

Ingredients:

  • ½ pound (2 sticks) salted butter, softened
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

  • Place the butter in your large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add the honey and cinnamon. Beat again until everything is combined. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before serving with the biscuits.

Reprinted with permission from The Ultimate Kids’ Baking Book by Tiffany Dahle, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019.