Strawberry Jam Obsession

So I dug out my equipment and quickly realized where I may have made a few mistakes.  I had a water bath canner years ago that my children had destroyed in some science experiment.  I had resorted to using my pressure cooker canner that had a nice raised inner plate. Could it be I overcooked my Fair Jam? I also couldn't find some of my favorite toys, like the jar lifter and funnel. I set off to WalMart to correct that problem.  I had to search the store, but eventually found the canner and tools that I needed. Back home I began sterilizing jars and cleaning & cutting berries.  I opted to try Certo's liquid pectin in this first experimental batch.  All went well and I filled 5 gift jars and 2 "jelly" jars with hot jam syrup of a beautiful color.  The little left over amount had a wonderful taste - so I was hopeful I had conquered jam making again. Wrong - when I got home from school the next day I discovered I had strawberry syrup - not jam. What...

It all started with the local county fair.  Many years ago, as a young mother, I innocently entered a jar of homemade jam and won first place.  That small success has sat in my memory bank as one of my special accomplishments in life.  30 years later, as I near retirement from a teaching career, I was ready to rekindle that success.  It could launch me into a retirement hobby of revisiting homemaking skills I've had to put on the shelf for too long. I made my jam and innocently entered it, yet again, into the fair.  I won, 4th place. To say that was a disappointment doesn't go far enough.  I was surprised, somewhat shocked and disbelieving.  I saw the third place jam and the jar wasn't completely full and there was foam on the top.  Mine topped out perfectly and had no foam.  I never got to see the first and second place winners. I mumbled childishly and wondered how the judges could have gotten it so wrong.  I was much better in the ...