Strawberry Sweetmeats
Ingredients
Directions
Make the syrup
Combine sugar and boiling water in a bright tin preserving pan.
Heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot.
Cook the strawberries
Add the strawberries carefully and place the pan directly on the stove.
Boil gently for 10 minutes, or longer if the fruit is not clear.
Avoid boiling violently to keep the strawberries intact.
Can and finish
Transfer the strawberries to cans, keeping them hot.
Boil the syrup down until very thick and rich.
Fill the cans with the thick syrup, draining off any excess.
Screw down the tops of the cans.
Flavor the excess thin syrup with vinegar. Boil briefly.
Bottle and cork.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Sugar
- Forms the thick syrup that preserves the strawberries and gives them sweetness.
- Strawberries
- Provide the fruit, which holds its shape and flavor when cooked gently in syrup.
The step that matters
Boil gently, not violently. Vigorous boiling breaks up the soft fruit and clouds the syrup. A gentle simmer keeps the strawberries whole and clear while the sugar slowly penetrates them.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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