Alas, after a nudge from one of my son-in-laws who savors my homemade freezer jams, I decided it’s not too late to use up the frozen fruits I stashed away in the freezer many months ago…blueberries, pears, apricots, kiwis, and more. Thinking about his encouragement in the final product (most recently having some of the pear jam on toast) I had an aha moment. Although I had initially badgered myself for the past couple years in not getting jams made in the summer, I realized that the oohey, gooey smashed fruits that sat in the freezer a few months longer are the secret to my successful jam making! When I thaw the frozen fruit and mash it up some more, it’s like marinated fruit, soft and gooey and just waiting for the Certo syrup to be mixed in. If anyone reading this is lamenting the fact that the jam isn’t made yet, pull out that frozen fruit you stashed away and get some Certo! Enjoy! I had so much therapeutic fun making blueberry, apricot, and pear jam this morning! It was therapeutic – one of my sisters and her family live in Newtown and the tragic events touched them very close to home. My nephew had just been with one of the children who died the night before. When you’re making jam, there’s lots of time to pray.