Name: Strawberry spread
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1 punnet of strawberries (about 250g); 75g muscovado sugar; 1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed; ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Strawberry spread

23 May 2017

by Dinna

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Total Time

20 minutes

Background

During the strawberry season it’s worth making a few jars of jam because the homemade versions taste so much better than anything you can get in the supermarkets! The other day I bought a huge bowl of them in our local street market and needed to use them quickly. So I came up with the recipe for this strawberry spread jam - no need to set-test or preserve properly, just keep it in the fridge in a jar; it will last for a week or so. Use it as a topping with pancakes or porridge in the morning, or on scones with your afternoon tea. It’s also perfect as a spread in trifle or on top of ice cream; I even use it as filling in cupcakes and cookies. And for a really quick and easy pudding, just mix it with some Greek yoghurt or custards and you’ll be in heaven! I don’t like my jam too sweet, but if you do, double the amount of the sugar in the recipe.

Ingredients

1 punnet of strawberries (about 250g)
75g muscovado sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

Remove the stems, then cut the strawberries roughly. Put them in saucepan, you can crush them with a potato masher, if you like.
Add the sugar and lemon juice.
Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and cook for time for 5-10 minutes, until it’s thick and sticky. (You could test the jam, if you like, by putting a drop of jam on a chilled plate and placing it in the fridge for 30 seconds. Then run your finger through it; if tacky it’s ready; if not, cook for another couple of minutes and retest.) Mix in the vanilla.
Transfer the spread into jars and seal with the lid. When completely cool, refrigerate.