Sunday 3 March 2013

SHANGHAI SEASONS

Everything in Shanghai has a season. At the moment it is the strawberry season. Yes, I know it seems strange to have an abundance of strawberries in the markets at this time of year. I always think of strawberries as a summer treat, but of course now in UK they can be eaten all the year round. Not a necessarily good thing. I find they can often be tasteless, not the delicious sweet strawberries I remember as a child.


Here they are large and so sweet, "tian" as they say here. I have to say I have been buying a lot of them. Partly because I know that in a few weeks time they will disappear from the market and it will be January next year before I see them again.
Sadly strawberries don't freeze so well, so next best thing I cooked them down with a bit of sugar, then sieved out all the seeds and froze as a puree to pour over ice cream or over anything you fancy really. So there will always be a hint of summer fruit in the freezer. 

I also decided to make jam.
Another way to prolong the delicious flavour. I am a strawberry person, my husband prefers raspberries, but alas have never seen a fresh raspberry on sale here. 
So with equal amounts of strawberry to sugar, 1 kilo this time, and the juice of half a lemon I set to 
work. It is such an easy thing to make.
Put all the ingredients int a large pan and slowly dissolve the sugar. When it is dissolved bring to the boil and boil until temp reaches 240 degrees. Then is should be just right. Add to sterilised jars, seal and cool. That is all there is to it.


So I can now enjoy my jam on my toast. Although haven given away some I really must get another couple of batches made before they disappear.

My mouth is watering seeing the pictures. Think I'll go and pop a piece of toast into the toaster as soon as I've finished this blog.

Here is another delicious strawberry treat. Recipe can be found here http://thecelticcook.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=strawberry+sponge


So have fun with strawberries whenever they are in season, wherever you are.




2 comments:

Snowy said...

Lucky you, having strawberries that taste like they should do. I don't buy them in the UK except when the British ones come into season, as I think that the ones in the shops at the moment taste like cardboard, and have no smell. A strawberry must have a perfume for me. Your jam sounds delicious and I bet it tastes good too. Enjoy your strawberries!

thecelticcookinshanghai said...

I so agree, seasonal is so much more flavoursome. It's annoying sometimes when I can't get stuff but I remind myself of how much better this is, in so many ways. Have never seen rhubarb here and I love it.