Strawberry Jelly

Ingredients

• strawberries
• pounded sugar
• 0.5 package per 600 ml juice Cox's gelatine
• 300 ml per 600 ml juice water
• optional lemon juice

Method

Hull the strawberries and crush them firmly in a bowl with a wooden spoon — you're breaking down the cell walls to release maximum juice, not mashing them to paste. Once they're thoroughly broken, add caster sugar at roughly 100g per 500ml of fruit (taste as you go; very ripe berries need less). Let the mixture sit for one hour uncovered. The sugar draws water from the cells through jelly-making|osmosis, concentrating flavour and creating a syrupy liquid.

Pour the entire mass through a fine cloth or jelly bag — muslin works best — without pressing. Let it drip overnight into a bowl if you have the time; pressing the fruit clouds the jelly and traps sediment. Measure the clear liquid. For every 600ml of juice, add 300ml of cold water and dissolve 2.5g of Cox's gelatine (roughly half a packet) in a separate teacup of water. Warm the gelatine gently over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it's completely transparent — about two minutes. Do not boil it; heat above 60°C damages the collagen structure that gives gelatine its setting power.

Combine the warm gelatine solution with the strawberry liquid, stirring well to distribute evenly. This is the moment to add lemon juice if the fruit is very sweet or lacking brightness — start with half a teaspoon and taste. The acid cuts richness and sharpens the strawberry flavour without curdling. Strain the mixture once more through fine cloth to catch any undissolved gelatine granules or fibres that would create a gritty texture.

Pour into a wetted mould — the moisture allows the set jelly to turn out cleanly — and place the mould on ice or in the coldest part of your refrigerator. The jelly will begin setting around the edges within 30 minutes and will be completely firm in four to six hours. You'll know it's ready when it wobbles slightly but holds its shape when unmoulded. Run a thin knife around the rim and dip the mould briefly into hot water to loosen it before turning out onto a plate.