Strawberry Dreams

As magnolia's and cherry blossoms festoon our concrete jungle of Brooklyn with the decorations of spring, I get to dreaming of our first batch of local, seasonal jam.

Strawberries, is there a more perfect fruit? Jewel-red, heart shaped, bite-size, glossy and delicious.

We are testing recipes in the kitchen and have been trying to get the perfect blend of pure fruit flavor and long lasting color. Sometimes organic and low sugar varieties tend to lose their gorgeous luster after a few weeks in the jar, or they lose that fresh fruit flavor. We are testing and tweaking the classic long maceration method used by jam goddesses like Christine Ferber, where the fruit macerates for 12 hour periods. This method allows the sugar to gradually be absorbed by the fruit and therefore retain the structure and texture of the berry. The juices are gelled independently of the fruit, which leaps into the pot at the last minute to retain its pure fruity punch. We'll let you know when we get the perfect recipe!