Strawberry jam

Place a small plate in the fridge.

Keep half of the strawberries whole (try to pick the smaller ones), and chop the remaining half.

Boil the sugar and water in a large pot until dissolved, then boil for 1 minute over a high heat.

Add about 250g of the whole strawberries to the syrup and cook for about a minute and a half at full boil. Remove the strawberries with a slotted spoon and place in a colander that has been placed over a large bowl. Continue to boil the syrup until it has returned to its original volume.

Continue the process with the rest of the whole strawberries, until all the whole berries have been used. Make sure after each step that the syrup is brought back to its original volume.

Return all the juices that have been collected from the colander to the pot.

Add the chopped strawberries to the syrup and simmer for 10 minutes, skimming the top as often as possible.

Add the whole strawberries and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring gently.

Test the jam by placing a small amount on the cooled plate. Push a spoon through the jam – if the jam holds its shape and forms a wrinkled skin, it’s ready. If the jam remains fluid, continue cooking and test again. You can also use a sugar thermometer to test if it has reached 105ºC.

Cool the mixture slightly before ladling the jam into sterilised glass jars.