Strawberry Jam

Its that time of year again when we begin to preserve the harvest. Before the days of refrigeration and freezing was in household kitchens, many housewives learned and used preservation techniques such as canning.

One of the easiest preserves is jam...and there are so many recipes to choose from. During the rationing of World War 2.. American housewives could apply for an extra 20lb of sugar to help preserve their harvest. British housewives however were not so lucky. To get extra sugar they had to give up their precious preserves ration... save the sugar from your own rations... or take your produce to the local WI for bottling...and then the jars were put back into the rationing system.

This Strawberry Jam comes from "Your Gas Range Cook Book", published in 1940 by the Wyandotte County (Kansas) Gas Company’s Home Service Department

3/4 pound sugar to 1 pound fruit

• Pick over the berries and remove hulls
• Put the fruit on the fire alone, mashing it as it heats: a wooden potato masher is best for this purpose
• Bring the fruit to the boil, stirring almost constantly and crushing any berries that may remain whole 
• Add the sugar to the fruit and boil together until thick (not over 20 minutes), stirring constantly to prevent burning
• Pack in clean hot jars and seal

Your Gas Range Cook Book
Home Service Department of the Wyandotte County Gas Company. Kansas
1940