Strawberry Jelly

History

This strawberry jelly is the recipe 'Jalea de Fresa' from the anonymous Spanish cookbook 'La Mejor Cocinera, Recetas de Cocina,' issued in Madrid by Editorial Saturnino Calleja. The book names no author; 'Calleja' on the title page denotes the Madrid publishing house, not a cook or writer. Its date of printing is uncertain: catalog records place the earliest located editions around 1921–1923, with a later edition around 1943. The recipe sets a jelly from strained strawberry juice rather than from whole fruit. The strawberries are cleaned and cooked in just enough water; the cooked fruit is then pressed through a fine cloth so that only the juice is kept and measured; an equal measure of sugar is added (as many cups of sugar as of juice), and the mixture is boiled slowly to a firm set before being poured into jars left in a ventilated place. This distinguishes it from the same book's 'Mermelada de Fresa' (strawberry jam), which instead passes the cooked fruit through a sieve and keeps the pulp. The record does not document who devised the recipe, where the technique originated, or any social or class meaning attached to the dish.

Ingredients

• strawberries
• equal parts cups sugar

Instructions

1. Clean the strawberries. Cook them with just enough water to cover until very soft.
2. Strain the fruit through a fine cloth, pressing gently to extract all the juice. Measure the juice obtained.
3. Transfer the juice to a preserving pan (or heavy saucepan). Add sugar in equal measure—one cup of sugar for each cup of juice. Stir to combine.
4. Bring to a slow boil and maintain a gentle rolling boil. Test for setting point by dropping a small spoonful onto a cold plate; it should wrinkle when pushed with your finger when cooled. This is the "point of strength" (punto fuerte) the recipe references.
5. Once set, pour the jelly into sterilized jars. Place them in a well-ventilated spot to cool and seal.