My mom and I make tabasco jelly for Christmas presents and I thought…why not make strawberry jelly for the end of the school year to say thank you.

After teaching first grade virtually for a few months, teachers needed to return supplies back to the kids. I decided to give my first graders some strawberry jelly with their supplies to say “I miss you berry much!” It was a hit!

It took a practice run and thank goodness Amazon supplied me with Certo because the grocery store was out…I guess there are lots of people canning during quarantine!?

My kitchen smelled amazing and I got more creative with each try…adding vanilla beans, a drop of tangerine oil, lemon zest. I like it when you can see the vanilla beans and the zest.

I’ve become pretty proficient and making jelly now and found it the perfect little something to bring smiles to this time. I gave it to my classroom children, my first grade team, principals, and my own children gave it to their teachers. It’s nice to give something that you made yourself.

This is easy and delicious homemade strawberry jelly recipe for canning & preserving. Try it with sourdough bread, inside crepes, danish pancakes or adding it to a cocktail.

• 5 cups strawberries
• 5 cups granulated sugar
• juice of one lemon
• 5 tablespoons Certo
• optional vanilla bean

1. Blend the strawberries with the lemon juice and add them to a large pot
2. Pour sugar to the pot and start whisking till they dissolve in the mixture
3. Boil the mixture while constantly stirring with a metal spoon. It needs to come to a rapid boil…so high that you think it’s going to overflow.
4. Turn off the heat and skim off the appearing foam with a metal spoon.
5. Start filling the freshly cleaned mason jars with jelly one at a time with a wide-mouth funnel. Clean the residue from the jar’s exterior with another metal spoon.
6. Check the lids for seal…listen for the pop. When they are sealed, store the jars in a pantry or kitchen cabinet until your ready to gift them. Enjoy!

P.S. Danish pancakes & summertime lemonade