Strawberry & Rose Jam

• porce: Makes about 2kg or 5-6 s
• celkový čas: Takes about 1 hour

Ingredience

2 kg strawberries (to end up with about 1.9 kg once stems are removed

1.1 kg granulated sugar

2 lemons

2 tbsp dried rose petals (or petals of 2 fresh unsprayed roses)

2 tsp rose water

Pokyny

BEFORE COOKING, STERILIZE JAM JARS

The easiest is to wash the jars and lids well in hot soapy water, then rinse and drain. When your jam is ready, boil some water and fill the jars to the rim. Empty one at a time to fill with the hot jam and seal immediately.

Alternatively, you can wash the jars in hot soapy water, then place them upright in the oven at 275°F/250°F convection for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven one by one when required to fill them while still hot.

However you sterilize the jars, once they are sealed, leave to cool entirely before opening.

FOR THE JAM

Place a bowl in the freezer for testing the jam later on

Remove the green leaves and stems from the strawberries. If they are tiny keep them whole, but otherwise cut in half, or even quarters if they are massive.

Place in a large bowl, cover with cold water, count to 5, then drain. Don't leave them for longer or they may become waterlogged and your jam will be too runny.

Transfer the strawberries to a large jam pan (no heat yet) and add the sugar.

Zest the lemons with a rough zester or a special strip zester (also called a channeling knife), and then halve and juice them.

Put the zest and juice in the pan.

Finally add the rose petals. Mix everything together to moisten but don't over-mix, as you don't want to squash the strawberries.

Set the pan on a very high heat and bring to the boil. Make sure to stir every now and then, reaching all the way down to the bottom of the pan to make sure there is no residue of sugar that could burn.

Once the first bubbles appear, remove the initial foam using a slotted spoon, then allow the mixture to boil for 5 minutes before you skim any more of the foam.

I like to continue cooking this jam on a high heat throughout as this helps maintain a good red color and allows for more liquid evaporation. This can be a tricky method, as you need to keep a close eye on the jam and skim whenever there is an accumulation of foam, and make sure to stir on a regular basis so it doesn't burn, but it is worth it to achieve the bright red, fresh-tasting result. (The more foam you skim, the clearer the jam will be)

It will take between 40 minutes and an hour to achieve the correct consistency; the timing varies depending on the water content in the strawberries. You should see the shape of the bubbles start to change: they will appear larger and resemble volcanic eruptions.

When the bubbles appear larger and resemble volcanic eruptions, add the rose water, then test the jam.

TEST THE JAM

Take one of your cold saucers out and place a spoonful of hot jam in the center, then count to 10. Start by looking at it. If there is runny liquid dripping away to the sides, looking thinner than the rest, continue cooking.

If it stays in one blob, run your finger through the middle of it. If the jam closes over the line you traced, continue cooking; if it leaves a distinct track, it is time to bottle up.

When it is cooked, transfer to sterilized jars

Poznámky

From: ‘Golden Sweet & Savory Baked Delights from the Ovens of London’s Honey & Co.’ by Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer