Strawberry Jam

So strawberries were less than a dollar a pound this week and that meant that I could try something new. I made jam, with the strawberries that didn't get eaten. You know one for the bowl, one for me. Anyways my mom said the hardest part about making jam is cutting the tops of the strawberries. I did find that it was easy but not that easy. So for anyone who's interested here's what I learned about making jam:
1. never double the batch. (I quadrupled it!)
2. sugary strawberry syrup boils over and froths and foams so you need a pot that is at least twice as big as your syrup!
3. You need some sort of thing to pull out the jars from the water bath. I tried using tongs, spoons and spatulas. I finally ended up turning off the water and letting it cool for a while, then put rubber gloves on and took them out. My mom has a special tool that is made for taking out jars and now I know why she has one!
4. Whatever flavor of your mashed syrup will be concentrated. (I accidentally added too much lemon juice. It tasted great when it was fresh and red but after boiling it to concentrate it became stronger, imagine that?!)

I guess there is always a learning curve to everything, even when you have a recipe or someone tells you how to do it. I only wish that they could come clean up my stove.