June is strawberry season in Michigan. Oh how sweet it is!

Whether you prefer to pick them yourself, snag a few pints at your farmer's market, or find the grown in Michigan label on a box at your local grocer--strawberries should be your jam in June.

Actually, with a little planning, strawberries could be your jam...all year long.

That's right, we're talking about simply awesome strawberry freezer jam. It's the kind of spreadable goodness that your peanut butter sandwich can't live without. (Did someone say peanut butter? Um, try these. You're welcome.)

Why do we call it simply awesome strawberry freezer jam?

It's awesome because you'll be using local produce at its peak ripeness. Yum.

It's simple because 4 ingredients and 30 minutes later you'll be admiring your handiwork, and probably sampling a little too.

How to make simply awesome strawberry freezer jam

Here's what you'll need to make about 5 cups of strawberry jam:

• 4 cups ripe Michigan strawberries
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 package of fruit pectin, like SURE JELL
• 3/4 cups water
• a large bowl and medium saucepan
• lidded jars or other freezable containers, cleaned with boiling water and dried

1. Lace up your new Hand Grown apron from Michigan Awesome ;)

2. Make strawberry mash.

Remove and discard the stems of 4 cups of ripe Michigan strawberries. Mash the strawberries in a large bowl. You should end up with about 2 cups of strawberry mash.

3. Add the sugar.

Stir 4 cups of sugar into the strawberry mash, and let stand for 10 minutes.

4. Boil your water and fruit pectin.

Mix 1 package of fruit pectin with 3/4 water. Bring this mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for one minute, continuing to stir, and then remove from the heat.

5. Add the fruit pectin mix to your strawberry mash.

Pour the fruit pectin and water mixture into your strawberry mash, and stir until the sugar is dissolved. This should take just a few minutes, and it's okay if some sugar crystals remain.

6. Pour the strawberry jam into your jars or freezable containers.

Be sure to leave a good 1/2 inch at the top of your jar for the jam to expand when it freezes.

7. Let the jam rest for 24 hours at room temperature.

After the jam has set you can freeze it for up to a year or store it for up to 3 weeks in your refrigerator.

8. Clean up the kitchen.

And, maybe do it in style with our hand grown towels. Just a thought.

That does it. Now when winter does come back around, you can just twist open a jar of your awesome strawberry jam and let the June vibes roll. Enjoy!

And if you're already thinking about picking up some Michigan strawberries to try your hand at making strawberry freezer jam--grab one of our hand grown market totes and shop with pride!