Childhood nostalgia captured in a jar!

Making jams and preserves is a great way to enjoy the season's bounty long after the season has ended. Winters are long past but we are still savoring its citrusy bounty in my orange marmalade - slathered on a whole wheat toast or just spooning some of it into the yoghurt.

In yesteryear preserving seasonal fruits, was more for keeping things when they were available in plenty. In today's time when you get practically everything all the year round, the reason for preserving fruits appears to be entirely different - it is indeed the health bug which has bitten the more aware and the more affluent. Homemade stuff seems a healthy, unadulterated option and also as it is sure to taste more superior to anything found on the supermarket shelves.

I am often asked how exhausting it must be to stand in the kitchen overseeing and closely monitoring the entire process ... fruits being selected, washed, being chopped, soaked, stirred and so on ... yes there is undoubtedly a whole lot of effort involved in handling all that fruit, weighing, testing the jams and preserves for a set ... but it doesn't seem a task because I enjoy doing it. In fact a sense of calmness engulfs me and I am totally focused on the task at hand. It's a great feeling to be able to relate to something so delicious particularly when you sense and feel the freshness, the taste and health that is embodied in it. The best part comes when each batch is to be is the sampled and  you wait anxiously to see the reaction ... is it a big and instant smile, a somewhat forced one, or worse unable to elicit a reaction. Fact is that the appreciation of  family and friends is so cherished  and makes it all worth it and it is only when the acceptance is unconditional and near unanimous that I feel that yes this is ready for being put in the market. 

If you, like me grew up with Enid Blyton’s you would understand my fascination for strawberry jam - served with scones and clotted cream! The secret to a good strawberry spread lies in retaining its fresh flavor and texture. Strawberry is a low pectin fruit, so results in a soft spread preserve. This is by far the easiest jam to make and tastes delicious too. I like my jam with chunks of strawberries in it - gives a feel of savoring the real fruit. 

So here goes my simple recipe for a mouthwatering strawberry preserve which would leave you yearning for more!!!

Strawberry Preserve

500 grams strawberries

300 grams sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Wash and hull the strawberries. Then cut the fruit into half and the larger ones can be chopped into quarters.Put the strawberries in a preserving pan and simmer gently till they soften a bit.

The fruit simmering in the sugar syrup

Then add the sugar and stir on a low heat till the sugar dissolves. Then turn the heat up and add the lemon juice. Cook on a rolling boil till the setting point is reached. When thick enough to set ladle the jam into sterilized jars and seal. 

Try this simple recipe ... the result is nothing short of divine.