“It is as healthy to enjoy sentiment as to enjoy jam.” — Gilbert K. Chesterton
If you have access to any fruit trees in your neighborhood then I highly encourage you to try your hand at canning some jams and jellies. Jam is easy to make, and very inexpensive when the fruit is picked from the tree for free. 🙂 If you don’t have any canning jars you can always use recycled, store-bought nut butter or jam jars.
Homegrown, homemade jam makes nice gift with a little bow tied around the jar. How often do you receive homemade goodies these days? I think people appreciate receiving something that you made yourself, that took some time to prepare, and that comes from the heart.
There are a ton of great jam and jelly recipes on the National Center for Home Food Preservation website.
Jam Fact: The average American consumes about 5 pounds of jam per year, so why not make your own?