Cooking Therapy

Jams, jellies, and preserves are delicious, but they taste even better when you make them yourself especially since you can create any combination you choose. For this, I decided to use two of my favorite fruits and add lavender to enhance the flavor and take something ordinary and make just a bit extraordinary.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Wait time: up to 1 day

Ingredients

2 pounds of strawberries, cut in half and hulled

1 small package of blueberries

2 cups of organic, unrefined, granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of lavender flowers

1 cap full of vanilla extract

¼ cup of lemon juice

Lemon zest

Instructions

• Add the strawberries and blueberries into a pot and heat over a low heat
• Add the lemon juice into the pot and stir
• Mix in the sugar, one cup at a time, and stir until it is dissolved
• Crush the lavender in your hands and add it to the cooking mixture, stirring it in
• Raise the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring often to avoid burning
• Using a wooden spoon or ladle, softly press down and smash the fruit
• Scrape off any foam bubbling on top of the mixture
• Add the vanilla and stir
• Boil and stir until the mixture reaches a temperature of 220 degrees F, or, another way to check if it is ready, using a spoon spread a thin line of the preserves across a cold surface, if it jellies then it is ready
• Sterilize the jars you are going to be adding the preserves to by cleaning them with boiling hot water, thus also heating the jars
• Using a large stock pot, add hot water and bring to a boil
• Transfer the mixture to the warm jars, leaving ¼ inch from the top, and seal them tight
• Using tongs, transfer them into the stockpot with boiling water and make sure they are covered
• Process in the boiling water for about 5-10 minutes
• Let them cool for about 24 hours in a cool dark place and seal. Check the seal by pressing down on the lid and making sure it does not pop up
• Store in a cool dark place
• Serve on toast or use as an ice cream or cheesecake topping