Cotton Candy Clouds and A Strawberry Jam

For this post I had to feature a photo I took  of some bodaciously buxom clouds that remind me of many things, one of which is cotton candy.  They seem light and fluffy, spun on a long, paper cone, full of sugary sweetness, pink and blue that screams childhood fancies.  They seem to smell like bubble gum and blue raspberry, staining your tongues and fingers, sticky, not unlike toffee and fun to share with friends.  I invoked these happy thoughts because they soften the blow of this strawberry 'jam' that I have found myself in at present. 

 I tried my hand at making this popular and spectacularly country feeling condiment, as they are in season and abundant.  I wanted to add this to our pantry for now and down the road, for a burst of fruit goodness, anytime during the rest of the year.  As simple as it should sound and seem, I had a couple of oversights which turned my blue skies grey.  The first mistake I made was add water, way too much.  Additionally, I started the berries in my canning pot instead of my usual heavy bottomed, sturdy pots that promote even heating and cooking.  I knew better, but continued anyway, too excited I guess and a bit distracted, fatal flaws when sailing new culinary waters.  I could have done my homework, as I normally do, but this time was different.  I should have at least returned to some of my past references for guidance, alas that I did not do also. 

 The beautiful bright, scarlet berries' color leeched away and the darn things started to adhere to the bottom of the thin, poorly insulated pot, and then scorch, I removed them from the pot, washed and scoured said vessel and repeated the same fiasco, the strawberry flavored, blackberry looking slurry stuck and scorched a bit further. The fact that I was doing chores at the time likely facilitated this initial scorching, but I thought at least one pair of the nostrils in the house would detect this scenario the first time.  My ego is a little bruised, yet not so much that I would even consider not retrying.   I am human, a Culinarian, a Kitchen Warrior and in order to appreciate a recipe gone well, one must also appreciate one that goes horribly awry.  I have gained hands on experience, which is good to have.  I am going to finish what I so hastily started and see if there is any salvage possible, therein lies the lesson and hopefully not be in this 'Strawberry Jam' again! And to think, I successfully made Mulberry Jam for the first time, just 3 weeks ago. SMDH.