BREAKFAST FOR PRINCESSES

As the old saying goes, 'Breakfast like a queen, eat lunch like a princess, and dine like a pauper.' Let me change it and cook a jam with pieces of whole strawberries ideal for little princesses!

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sugar
1 lemon juiced
1 kilo fresh strawberries


Directions 

Wash the straberries with plenty tapping water. Pick off the green tops. Combine the sugar and the strawberries in a bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator for 24 hours. After 24 hours the strawberries will have released some of their juices and some sugar will have dissolved. In a saucepan add the mixture and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent burning. With a spoon remove the foam that rises to the surface. While the mixture is boiling, pour the lemon juice in the saucepan and continue cooking. An easy way to understand when the jam is ready is to pour a small amount of the mixture on a cold plate that you have put in the freezer. If it gels then jam is ready! Pour the jam into sterilized jars. Jam should be refrigerated after you open the jar. 

If your jam junkie, you can take a look at From tree to table!

FROM TREE TO TABLE

In Greece the weather favors the growing of many fruit trees that's why almost very household make jams. This time I will write you an apricot jam recipe, which is a perfect choice for an energizing and delicious breakfast. I add a secret ingredient that in Greece is called amparoriza and it is widely used at many recipes that use as main ingredient the fruits. I think its scientific name is Pelargonium roseum and if you dare to try it, it will scent your jam uniquely.

Ingredients

1 kg. diced apricots

700gr. sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

Some leaves of Pelargonium roseum ( amparoriza)

Steps

First of all, pick apricots that are without spots and bruises but are ripe enough. (I have a passion for organic fruits; their smell and flavor outweigh the difference in price.)  Divide the appricots and take out their kernels. In order to sterilize the canning jars and the lids, wash them with hot water and soap, then boil them in a pot for about a quarter. Place one third of the apricots in a large bowl and sprinkle with one third of sugar. Repeat twice. wait 5 hours until sugar has dissolved. Pour the mixture in a pot and boil on high heat for about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime stir occasionally. Add the lemon juice and the leaves of amparoriza. The jam will be ready when most of the water has evaporated. Keep in mind that the density of the jam seems only when it cools down. If you aren’t satisfied with the result you can add some water and boil it again on low heat for a while to dilute the excess water of your jam, however in case you boil it too much, the jam will darken and lose its deep orange color. Remove the leaves.

Wait to cold down a little bit (as to avoid cracking the jars), pour the mixture in jars overfilling them and press the surface softly with a spoon (to expel the air). Turn them upside down to seal. 

You don’t have to put them in fridge until you open them.

Perfect!