STRAWBERRIES IN JULY

Taupo Times, Volume 19, Issue 97, 15 December 1970, Page 5

STRAWBERRIES IN JULY

Strawberries in July,! Not impossible if you take advantage of a bumper season's crop and preserve them while the prices are low.

By

Susan Baker

Bottled strawberries have thousands of uses, from sweet dishes to enhancing the flavour of cakes. Preserving is simple and here is the way to go about it. For every 2 lbs of strawberries you will need a breakfast cup of sugar and half a cup of strawberry juice. The easiest way of making the juice is by crushing and heating the berries you discard as blemished or over-ripe. Boii sugar and juice together for a minute or two until you have a smooth syrup. Let the syrup cool, then add the whole berries and bring them to the boil, keeping up the boiling for just three minutes. Cover the cooking vessel and put it aside for at least four hours — or overnight, if you can Then pack the

berries and juice into clean jars filling them to about half an inch of the top. Seal the jars and cover them with warm water Bring quickly to the boil, keeping the water boiling for 15 minutes. Take the jars from the water as soon as the processing time is over and remember not to sit them on a cold surface or in a draught while they are still hot. Strawberries can be bottled by the overflow method if you plan to use them later for jam, tarts or sauces, or in any other dish where appearance doesn't matter. The waterbath method given above will preserve the shape and colour of the fruit much better than the overflow method.

Using the correct syrup is an important item in fruit bottling. The amount of sugar must be left to individual tastes, but the following measurements should be a useful guide. Thin syrup, suitable for srnall, soft fruits such as sweet cherries and berries Use three parts of water or fruit juice to one part of sugar and bring to the boil. Medium syrup, generally used for peaches, apples, sour berries, acid fruits and gooseberries. Two parts of water or fruit juice to, one of sugar and bring to the boil. Heavy syrup, generally used for larger sour fruits which are to be extra sweet. One part of water or juice to one part of sugar, brought to the boil.