Treasured

     I am unable to find words deserving enough to address fresh strawberries; how does one speak of the taste of sunshine or of the vapor that steals through the sinuses?

      This word came to me like a gift:

      smultronställe: (n.) lit. “place of wild strawberries"; a special place discovered, treasured, returned to for solace and relaxation; a personal idyll free from stress or sadness.

      And this recipe did, too.

Slow Roasted Strawberry Jam

inspired by Alice Waters

       The original recipe calls to let the macerated berries sit in the sun for two days in a place free from ants. The weather was uncooperative for this process, so I took some latitude and placed them in a very low temperature oven, turning it on and off throughout the day. By evening, the berries and their juices had reduced into a jam-like consistency, filling the house with an exquisitely dreamy fragrance.

      Despite their settings, ovens burn at different temperatures so use your own discretion with how long you roast the jam. I went through three rounds of turning the oven on and off and was very casual in doing so; feel free to run errands, go for a run, mow the lawn or take a nap.

Ingredients

4 quarts fresh strawberries, stems trimmed and discarded *

1 1/2 c packed brown sugar

squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

Helpful Equipment

an immersion blender (or something of the sort -- a potato masher could work)

3 casserole baking dishes with flat bottoms

Process

      Pre-heat oven to 200F.

      Slice the berries thinly lengthwise. Place them in a large pot with the sugar and let them sit for fifteen minutes to release their juices.

       Heat the pot over a high flame for a minute or two, stirring constantly, and scrapping off any foam that appears. Using the immersion blender, coarsely blend the berries until only 1/4 of the berries remain intact.

       Pour immediately into flat, oven safe dishes so that the jam is one inch deep in all places. Place in a 200F oven for an hour, stirring occasionally. Turn off the oven for two hours and then back on for another hour. Repeat the process one last time; by now the mixture should thickly coat the back of a spoon.

      Pour into sanitized jars and seal tightly. The jam will keep for a month in the refrigerator. If you are adept at canning, perhaps this could be a recipe to try -- I can only imagine the winter's respite it could supply.

      I've been eating this by the spoonful and it is additionally perfect on (salted) buttered toast or swirled into strained yogurt.

      * If using fresh strawberries, especially ones that were picked that day, the berries will require only the small amount of sugar I call for. Less fresh berries, like ones that have traveled in plastic to your grocery store, will require more sugar.

Yields: 8 4oz. jars

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 6 hours, mostly unattended

Writing and Styling by Adria Lee / Photography by Amy Pennington