A Taste of the Season: Raspberries

 

For some reason the raspberry doesn’t seem to be nearly as popular as that other summer berry, the strawberry. Yet these delightfully tart, luscious and juicy fruits deserve to be loved just as much as their larger cousins. The reasons for their comparative lack of popularity may be that they are just to soft and delicate to transport easily when ripe, and also be cause they spoil to quickly. These two factors combined make them a supply and distribution nightmare for supermarkets and greengrocers.

There is a way around this problem though – you could visit a pick your own farm and gather your own punnet of berries on the day you’re planning to eat them. Or why not try growing your own? They’re relatively easy to grow in any sized garden as they work well in containers if you only have a limited space.

Pick your raspberries on a dry day if possible when they’ll be at their fragrant best. Wash them as little as they need, and only ever under a very gentle trickle of water. Eat in various ways – including very simply with just a little sugar and cream to mellow their tartness – the perfect taste. Or why not try our Raspberry Jam recipe?

 

 

Ingredients:

Makes about 5lbs 

● 1.8kg raspberries
● 1.8kg golden caster sugar
● Knob of butter

Method:

● Put the raspberries into a preserving pan and simmer very gently in their own juice for 15-20 minutes, stirring carefully from time to time until soft.

● Remove the pan from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until dissolved, then add the butter and boil rapidly for 20 minutes, or until setting point is reached.

● Take the pan off the heat, remove any scum with a slotted spoon, then leave to stand for 15 minutes.

● Pour into warm, sterilized jam jars (this reduces the chance of the glass cracking) filling them almost to the top. Immediately cover with a waxed disc while the jam is still warm.

● Leave to go cold and then cover the jars with dampened cellophane and secure with an elastic band. If you seal them while the jam is still warm then mould is likely to grow on the surface. For long term storage, cover the jam with a screw top as well. Label and store in a cool dry place for up to six months. Once opened, store in the fridge or a cool larder.

Enjoy on toast or scones or why not use to fill a delicious Victoria Sponge?

*Recipe originally appeared in Bustle & Sew Magazine, find out more here.

3 Comments

Unsure of the measurement knob of butter as I am used to American measurement terms. Plus what is golden castor sugar?

Reply

Golden caster sugar is made from beets or unrefined sugar cane and is a fine, granulated sugar. The sugar has a faint buttery flavor and is a pale brown in color. It’s about 20 grams.

Reply

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