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 about 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.