A friend brought me these sunflowers the other day, aren't they lovely, they make me smile everytime i see them.
Spent most of the weekend kneedeep in these (slight exaggeration!)
Made 15 jars of jam in total - my favourite!
With trial and error i have found the perfect receipe - i have always found strawberry jam difficult to set, but, when you put some gooseberries with it - perfect! I actually don't like gooseberries but you can't actually taste them!
Here's the receipe - 3lb strawbs, 1lb gooseberries (i used the dessert gooseberries), 4lb of granulated sugar. Top and tail the gooseberries and place in big pot (I don't have a preserving pan so i use an old pressure cooker). Add just enough water to cover them (about 100-150 ml). Slowly bring to boil and then simmer until gooseberries soft. Whilst this is going on place sugar in a bowl and place in a moderate oven. Then take stalks off of strawbs and add to gooseberries, simmer till soft. Take sugar out of oven and add to pan, stir gentley so as not to break up the fruit too much, keep simmering until sugar dissolved. Now put heat up to full and boil for 8-10 minutes. Take off the heat - take a small spoonful and place on a cold plate. Leave for a minute and then push with little finger -if jam wrinkles its ready - if not place on heat , boil for a further 5 minutes and repeat above until the jam wrinkes. I find it takes a couple of repeats and then its ready. Once done, if any scum on top, add a knob of butter and stir. Let settle for a while and then put into hot jars. This makes about 4/5 jars, depending on size of jar!
After all that, sit down with a huge cup of tea!
xxx
I haven't done much sewing for while - seemed to have lost my mojo - however it turned up last week and i spent the entire saturday sewing - cushions! I have had this lovely spotty fabric for ages and looking round the sitting room the other day i thought it looked like it needed cheering up and what better than spots and stripes.
I have some little bits of the fabrics left so i think some patchwork stripes and spots will be on the agenda.
