The strawberry jam that runs all the way through Criss Creek — and the recipe that started it.

In Summer in the Moon Garden, there’s a small moment I think about more than some of the big ones. Danny shows up at Millie’s house with a flat of strawberries balanced on one arm and a mason jar in his hand.

“Mom wanted me to bring this to you,” he said, giving the jar a little shake.

Kat’s eyes widened, a smile spreading across her lips. “Her strawberry jam is the best. Store-bought doesn’t compare.” She ushered him inside, trying to ignore the warmth spreading through her. Danny’s mother still cared for her. “Please thank her for me. And these strawberries look amazing.”

That jar of jam is Rose’s — Danny’s mother, and Mary Ann’s sister. It’s such a small thing to hand someone. A mason jar of jam. But everyone there knows it isn’t really about the jam. It’s Rose saying you still belong to us, in the only language that never feels like too much: a thing made by hand and sent over.

That’s the jam I want to share. It’s the same recipe that keeps turning up across all three Criss Creek books, because in this town, the people who love you feed you — and they do it in jars.

It’s an old-fashioned jam: no pectin, no fuss, just strawberries, sugar, and a little lemon doing what they’ve done in farmhouse kitchens for a hundred years. If you’ve only ever had it from a store, Kat’s right. It doesn’t compare.

Rose’s Old-Fashioned Strawberry Jam

Makes about 4 half-pint jars · Prep 15 min · Cook 30–40 min

Ingredients

2 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped (about 4 cups)
4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

Instructions

1. Mash the berries. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, add the strawberries and mash with a potato masher to crush to your preferred texture.
2. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice until the sugar is fully moistened.
3. Heat the pot over low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to dissolve. Don’t let it boil yet. This is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that makes the jam taste like Rose made it.
4. Bring to a boil. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a full rolling boil. Keep it at a steady boil for 30–40 minutes, stirring frequently and skimming off any foam that rises. The jam will darken, thicken, and start to look glossy. As it cooks, mash the berries against the side of the pot if you like a smoother jam, or leave them whole for a rustic, chunky one.
5. Test for set. Pop a small plate in the freezer before you start. When you think the jam’s ready, spoon a little onto the cold plate and wait 30 seconds, then push it with your finger. If it wrinkles and holds, it’s done. If it floods back, give it another 5 minutes and test again.
6. Jar it. Ladle the hot jam into clean half-pint jars, leaving about ¼ inch at the top. Wipe the rims, seal, and either process in a water bath for 10 minutes for shelf-stable jars or simply let them cool and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

A jar worth carrying across town

Make a batch and you’ll see why Danny didn’t mind driving it over.

If you’d like to spend a little more time in Criss Creek, with Kat and Danny and the whole loving cast of Summer in the Moon Garden, you can read the opening chapters free by filling out the form below.