This Year's Strawberries!

Once again, this year we are picking loads of strawberries, if we leave it a day or so, we have more than we can cope with or eat!  The other day we had 2 kilos, so I decided to make some strawberry jam to use them up.



STRAWBERRY JAM

2 kilos of strawberries

2 kilos of sugar

6 tbsps of lemon juice

Knob of unsalted butter

Put the strawberries into a preserving pan or large heavy-based saucepan with the lemon juice. Bring to the boil.



Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. The fruit should be soft.

Tip in the sugar, stir over a very low heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Raise the heat, bring to a full rolling boil, then rapidly boil for 20-25 minutes - don't stir though - until the setting point of 105C is reached. Or you can test it by putting a saucer into the freezer beforehand and testing the setting on the cold saucer.

Remove from the heat, skim off any excess scum, then stir a knob of butter across the surface (this helps to dissolve any remaining scum). Leave for about 15 mins so the fruit can settle. Pour into sterilised jars, label and seal.

STRAWBERRY AND MARSHMALLOW MOUSSE

250g fresh strawberries, halved if large

25g sugar

140g mini marshmallows

200ml double cream

Put all but a couple strawberries into a pan, add 100ml water and the sugar. Over a medium heat, cook the strawberries until soft enough to mash, about 3 mins.  Take off the heat and squash the berries, using a fork, until pulpy.  Add the marshmallows, then stir them into the hot strawberries until they dissolve.  Leave to cool.



Whip the cream until it holds its shape.  Fold the cream into the cooled strawberry mix, then spoon into one bowl or separate pots and chill for about 2 hours, or until set.  Decorate with the reserved strawberries.