Strawberry jam

This recipe makes a soft-set jam. Keep in the fridge and consume within a couple of weeks, suggests Nigel Slater.

Ingredients

1kg strawberries
750g golden caster sugar
Half a lemon

Details

Achieving the perfect results

1. Remove the hulls from the berries and discard.
2. Put the fruit into a deep, heavy-based pan together with the lemon and sugar.
3. Bring to the boil and leave to boil rapidly for 10 minutes or until it reaches setting point.
4. Turn off the hear and leave for 20 minutes before packing into warm, fully sterilised jars and seal.
5. To test your jam to see if it has reaching setting point you need to do the ‘wrinkle test’.
6. This is simply a matter of taking a spoonful of jam from the pan, pouring it onto a cold saucer and placing it in the fridge for five minutes or the freezer for two or three.
7. Push the jam with your finger; if it wrinkles then it is ready, if it is still liquid, then continue cooking for a few more minutes.