Sexy Strawberries

Strawberries are wonderful things. When I mention strawberries in relation to a culinary romance, most out there would probably be thinking something including whipped cream with candles and Barry White playing in the background.

But that's not quite what I have in mind. Aside from the fact that a recipe for strawberries & whipped cream would be spectacularly unnecessary, it doesn't quite fit into what this site's about.

Strawberry jam is where it's all at. Fresh Croissants scream for it, midnight snack toast loves it, and there's always Pa,czki (Warsaw) Doughnuts if you want to go crazy.

This recipe is a very simple jam which we put together recently. We reduce the ratio of sugar to fruit, which means that it's less sugary jam and more squished up conserved strawberries.

You'll need:

• 500g Fresh Strawberries, hulled (remove the leafy bit) and halved if large
  
• 500g Caster Sugar
  
• 1/2 tsp Tartaric Acid
  
• An enamel-coated cast-iron saucepan or a copper preserving pan. Heavy-bottomed stainless steel will be ok at a pinch, but never use aluminium as it will react with the strawberries.
  
• A candy thermometer, which you can buy from any good kitchen supply store for about $8
  

First we need to soften the strawberries and release some of their wonderful flavour. Place your strawberries into the saucepan no more than two deep, and put the saucepan onto the stove on the lowest heat and simmer slowly for about 15 minutes. The strawberries don't need any water for this, as they cook in their own juices.

Once they're all soft and surrounded by a bubbling red ooze (which smells phenomenal), add in your sugar and tartaric acid. Leave the cooktop on low until the sugar dissolves (the mixture will go sort of transparent), then turn it up to high and let the mixture fast boil until your candy thermometer reads 104˚

Take the saucepan off the heat and stir gently as it cools. Don't be afraid if your candy thermometer goes up a little, either. It'll probably keep climbing to 106˚ or so, but is fine. Unless it does past 107˚, you'll end up with jam. Over that and you'll get strawberry toffee.

Once it's cooled, skim the bubbles off the surface and put the jam into sterilized jars, then pop in the fridge. Next morning you can scoff some fresh strawberry jam on toast or croissants to your heart's content.