The lockdowns now & then due to Covid-19 and the home boundedness is something boring and monotonous. Online classes make us stay glued to the computer screens which is bit stressful for young kids like us. Everything is “online” – from food, to shopping basic stuff like soaps, ah! the sanitizer (how can I forget?) and all basic home needs.

My father discovered an online grocery, fruit and veggies store, Farm Fresh Kovai, and I was surprised to learn it was by my classmate Janavi’s father who had started the service to help the residents of Coimbatore during lockdown. We ordered fresh strawberries to try out something new and experience a new fruit.

Strawberries are grown in the Ooty hills near Coimbatore. I’ve read on all Jams which make use of strawberries as basic ingredient. I was in my grandmother’s home in Vadavalli when the strawberries were delivered, and they were fresh and juicy. I thought why not make a jam out of it, then my grandmother suggested that she would guide me to make “strawberry preserve”.

My grandmother and I set out to make my first cooking experiment. It was exciting and a new feeling to enter the kitchen as a cook. It’s an amazing recipe which you can make with only 2 ingredients and lots of grandmother’s love ❤️.

STRAWBERRY PRESERVE

Ingredients

1. Strawberries – 400 grams
2. Sugar - 250 grams

Method

• Wash and pat dry the strawberries well.
• Slice the top and the bottom of the strawberries slightly and chop them to fine pieces.
• In a non-stick or heavy-bottomed Kadai (Pan) place the strawberries, add sugar and mix well.
• It will soon start watering. Then place the pan on fire.
• First, keep the flame low and mix well till it liquidizes.
• Then stir well continuously for 5 minutes when it will froth.
• Remove the froth and keep stirring for 10 - 15 minutes in medium flame.
• As it will thicken and gets sticky, the kadai should be removed from the fire when the preserve reaches a slightly thicker consistency.
• Keep a plate in the freezer for 10 minutes. Now, place a spoon of the mixture on to the plate and shake the plate, it won’t move, that’s the way to make sure of its right texture.
• Allow the strawberry preserve to cool down and it will gain spreadable consistency.
• Since there is no artificial preservative added, consume the yummy preserve in few days, if necessary, refrigerate, thaw, and use.

NOW ENJOY YOUR YUMMY STRAWBERRY PRESERVE SPREAD!

Sanjanaa Jaganathan, a budding writer of Verandah Club, is studying 5th grade in Vidhya Niketan Public School, Coimbatore. Her interests include reading, painting and writing.