Dayrecipe Food Community

DIRECTIONS

Hull, wash and drain the strawberries. Place 1/4 of the berries and 1/4 of the sugar in a large pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Add remaining berries, sugar and the lemon juice and bring to a boil, stirring frequently so that the sugar does not burn. Cook at a rolling boil for 12 minutes, remove from the heat and skim carefully. Pour juice and berries in a single layer into shallow pans, cover each with a pane of glass and insert a small paper wedge under the glass on each pan to allow air to circulate. Stand pans in the sun for 3 days, or until liquid thickens. Stir twice daily. Pour into hot, sterilized jelly glasses and cover with a thin layer of melted paraffin. When the paraffin has hardened, cover the glasses and store. (If you do not have 3 consecutive days of hot sun, the juices will take longer to thicken but the end result will be the same.)

DIRECTIONS

Pit the plums. Tie the pits in a cheesecloth bag. Cut the fruit into quarters. Simmer the plums, pits and water in a covered saucepan over medium heat for one hour, or until the fruit is almost reduced to a pulp. (To hasten the process, mash the fruit coarsely after it has cooked a while.) Discard the pits and force the pulp through a coarse sieve or a food mill. Place the purée in a jelly bag and let it drip overnight. (If you do not have a jelly bag, line a colander with 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth and set over a bowl.) The next day, measure the juice and add enough port wine to make 3 cups of liquid altogether. Combine the liquid and sugar in a large pot and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. Add pectin and continue to boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Skim the top and pour into hot, sterilized jelly glasses. Cover with a thin layer of melted paraffin. When the paraffin has hardened, cover the glasses and store.

DIRECTIONS

In an electric coffee/spice grinder finely grind mint with sugar. Mint sugar may be made 1 hour ahead and kept in an airtight container.

DIRECTIONS

Bring water, vinegar and lemon juice to a boil in a large pot. Reserve 10 basil leaves. Bruise the remainder, add to the pot, remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Add the sugar and vegetable coloring, return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. When the syrup is at a full rolling boil, add the pectin, boil for 1/2 minute and remove from heat. Place 2 basil leaves in the bottom of each of 5 hot, sterilized 8-ounce jelly glasses. Strain the jelly into glasses through a fine sieve. Cool and cover with a layer of thin paraffin. When the paraffin has hardened, cover the glasses and store.

Note: This delicate jelly is a wonderful accompaniment to cold veal, fish dishes and chicken.