Have I told you mum is a great cook? Perhaps not, but I am sure you can guess. I have always admired Lena’s energy, I can hardly remember her tired or complaining and I will never change her strawberry preserve for anything in the world.
Even after long hours at work mum will find time to make something a little bit more special. In our family that translates in dessert, we have a terrribly sweet tooth. So be it cake or improvised crumble, there will always be some homemade jam or spoon-sweet too. It’s essential for breakfast! We cannot imagine yoghurt or toast without it.
Now with summer in full swing there will always be ice-cream around too. We get a plain tub of vanilla or kaimaki, a Greek favourite flavour, extra creamy mastic flavoured ice-cream. Toppings are of course homemade, an array of syrups and nuts are always around the house. So here is a favourite, strawberry preserve, or spoon-sweet as we call it over here.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of strawberries
- 700 gr sugar
- 1 lemon for its juice
- 100 ml water
A few tips:
Use a large sauce pan as the boiling mixture with foam and froth. It smells delicious but it can make a huge sugary mess on your hob.
It’s best to do small quantities at a time, so you can control the process.
Jar sterilisation:
Wash your jars in warm soapy water, rinse and let them dry. Avoid drying with a fluffy towel as it might leave residue. Preheat your oven at 160 oC max (gas mark 3, 325 oF) and place the dry jars for 10 minutes.
What to do:
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Remove the stems from the strawberries and rinse thoroughly.
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Strain and place in a large pot, alternating a layer of strawberries with a layer of sugar.
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Leave the strawberries and sugar overnight, or at least 3 hours. This will allow the strawberries to let out all their juices.
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The next day, check the liquids, you might need to add a small amount to water in the pot, approximately 100 ml should be fine.
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Bring to the boil and let it boil for 2 minutes. As soon as this happens, lower the heat to a slow simmer. The strawberries will start foaming, make sure to skim any foam.
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Add the lemon juice and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
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Transfer to the sterilised jars and store in the fridge.
Enjoy!
with love from Athens





Oh my delicious, sweet, strawberries I adore them!!! Your USA friend, Cheryl
Irresistible dear Cheryl, simple irresistible! 🙂