Wimbledon is in full swing and we can’t think of a better excuse to kick back with a delicious cream tea. Rather than reaching for a jar of shop-bought jam, why not impress your friends with your own lovingly made preserves?
The lovely people at Haskins Garden Centre, Ferndown, have shared their recipe, which they hope encourages people to make the most of their home-grown strawbs.
Lisa Looker, Brand Director at Haskins Garden Centres, has shared her tips for growing strawberries:
“Top tips for keeping strawberries healthy, include giving the plants a liquid feed that’s high in potassium, such as a tomato feed, every 7 to 14 days. Also, as the fruits start to develop, tuck straw underneath them to prevent rotting.”
Even if you haven’t managed to grow your own, this recipe is too good to pass up, and will still taste just as delicious with shop-bought berries.
Ingredients (makes one jar)
- 250g strawberries
- 200g sugar
- 1/4 lemon
Method
- Layer the sugar and strawberries into a large bowl, finishing with a layer of sugar.
- Cover and leave the bowl for one day.
- By the following day, your berries should have reduced into lumpy sugary pink syrup.
- Tip the mixture into a large heavy-based pan and warm to dissolve the remaining sugar. Once dissolved, bring to the boil, stirring frequently.
- Add the lemon juice, return to the boil for 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
- After 40 minutes, the jam should be a jelly-like consistency to indicate it is ready.
- Allow to cool for half an hour, then pour into sterilised jars leaving 1cm from the top and seal.
For a tasty treat that looks ace as well, you could even decorate your jars with personalised labels and cute jar toppers. Hobbycraft has a great selection.
Top tip! Strawberries are best picked when they are bright red all over, ideally during the warmest part of the day.
Alternatively, if you’re too lazy, throwing them in a bowl and pouring a hefty amount of cream on them works just as well…