There is something about a strawberry crush or jam. It takes
me back to a trip I made to Mahabaleshwar as a kid with my family. We had
visited the Mapro (manufacturer of fruit jams and fruit concentrates) plant
where they manufacture fresh jams and crushes. One could taste these products
and had the option to choose the one of their choice and buy it accordingly. I remember
they had a small café that served shakes and ice-cream made from fresh
strawberries. It was one of the best childhood trips and the memories of the
plant visit and the aroma of fresh strawberries experienced then somehow stayed
with me.
Now in a city like Delhi we do not get fresh strawberries
throughout the year. Come winters and only then can one spot boxes full of beautiful
blushing strawberries with the fruit vendors. So, the other day when I made a brief
trip to the market my eyes fell on one such box of strawberries and an
imaginary cloud popped over my head visualising strawberry crush and strawberry
shake. The mundane toast topped with a layer of fresh strawberry crush…aaahhhh!!
Pure bliss!
I picked up two boxes and could not wait to reach home and
start preparing home-made strawberry crush. I did not know the exact recipe
(now I do know) so I followed a hit and trial method. Luckily it worked just
fine.
I pruned the leaves off the fruit and washed the
strawberries well. I then poured some water in a pan just enough to cover the
strawberries that would be going into it. I tipped in a few spoonfuls of sugar
to it. When the sugar dissolved I added chopped strawberries into the pan. Once
the mixture started to boil; I swear the entire kitchen smelt SO good. The fruity
whiff of strawberries was a pleasant change from the aroma of Indian cooking
that generally takes place in every Indian household. I had let the mixture
boil and kept stirring it every now and then, till its consistency was as thick
as any sauce.
I could not take my eyes off from the mixture with its
chirpy pink bubbles bobbing to the pan’s brim as if students wanting to get out
of the class the moment the school bell rings. The sight of that bubbly mix
with the mellow fragrance of fresh strawberries being poached to make a crush
made an absolutely wonderful combination. Once the consistency was like that of
any sauce I took the pan off the flame and let it cool.
I could not wait to get hold of a spoon and dipped a finger
into the pan only to lick off the sticky lip-smacking crush off my finger the
next second. It was yum! And just the way I had imagined it. I must confess
that I was more than happy:D
I transferred the crush into a dry bowl. I am now planning
to use it for shakes, lemonades and with toast. And I know my dear husband with
absolutely love the crush with vanilla ice-cream packed and topped with the
crunchiness of nuts. I have other ideas too and I will share them soon ;)
This is what you will need to make your own fresh home-made strawberry
crush.
Ingredients to make a
bowl of strawberry crush
- 9-10 strawberries
- Water just enough to cover the strawberries
- 5-6 spoons of sugar
Recipe
- Remove the leaves of the strawberries and wash them properly.
- Chop the strawberries into chunks.
- Heat water in a pan and add sugar to it
- Once the sugar dissolves add strawberries to it.
- Let the mixture boil.
- Keep stirring it off and on to check the consistency.
- Once the strawberries nearly dissolve in the water and the consistency is like that of any chutney (sauce) take the pan off the flame.
-
Let the mixture cool down.
-
Transfer it to a clean and dry glass jar.
is It is now ready to be enjoyed in various ways for upto two
weeks.
my very own bowl of home-made preservative free strawberry crush |
Note: I did not use any preservative hence the
crush has to be consumed in a period of two weeks.
hey ankita, thanks for sharing this... i tried this at home as i love strawberries.. and i must tell u they tasted as yummy as u described above... i gt a pat on my back frm my mother too... thanks alot for sharing :)
ReplyDeletei am glad that the recipe turned out to be a hit at your place...enjoy! :)
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