Blissful Eats with The Cook's Atelier || Gariguette Strawberry Confiture

Hello, Bliss readers! We are so excited to be back on Bliss blog and to share with you a little bit of Spring from our side of the pond.

You know it's spring with the arrival of the first strawberries at the market. We love to make strawberry jam using the Gariguette variety.  Gariguette strawberries are a French favorite. They are bright red and so fragrant that they perfume the market with the most heavenly scent. We've dubbed them "angel kisses" for that very reason.  The atelier kitchen smells like heaven! We make our jam in a vintage copper preserving pan that we picked up at a local brocante.  The strawberries are even sweeter when they are picked by little hands straight from our very own garden.

If you are interested in having your very own vintage French copper confiture pot, please visit our online shop, The French Larder at The Cook’s Atelier. (www.thecooksatelier.com)

Gariguette Strawberry Confiture 

Makes about 8 cups  

2 1/2 pounds Gariguette strawberries, or 2 1/4 pounds net

2 cups granulated sugar

juice of 1 small lemon

Rinse the strawberries in cold water. Dry them in a towel and remove their stems. Place the strawberries in a ceramic bowl and cover with the sugar and the juice of one lemon. Let the strawberries macerate overnight in the refrigerator, covered with a sheet of parchment paper.

Next day, bring this preparation to a simmer in a preserving pan. Pour it into a ceramic bowl.

Cover with a sheet of parchment paper and refrigerate overnight.

On the third day, pour this preparation into a sieve. Bring the collected syrup to a boil in a preserving pan, skim, and continue cooking on high heat. The syrup will be sufficiently concentrated at 221 degrees F on a candy thermometer.  Add the partially cooked strawberries and return to a boil over high heat. Skim and return to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring gently. Check the set. The strawberries will be translucent, like preserves. Put the jam into jars immediately and seal.

We look forward to seeing you all again in two weeks. Happy jam making!