4 ways to combine fruit and spicy!

Stawberry, Tutti fruiti, Cherry and Peach marmalade

After April, when the first strawberries start to come out, it's not Spring anymore.. It's marmalade season!

This year, I made four kinds; strawberry with cinnamon, peach with nutmeg, cherry with vanilla and tutti fruiti with mint. 

All marmalades are made following the same procedure; 

For the stawberry and cinnamon:

1kg strawberries

500gr sugar

juice of 1 lemon

Cinnamon (a tip of a teaspoon) - try it and see if you need a more intense flavour

Cut the green cap and wash the strawberries very well, dry them and put them into a pot adding the sugar. Make sure that the sugar has covered all the fruits. Leave it like that for about 30 minutes, until the sugar helps the strawberries get their juice out. 

Put the pot on medium fire, and after 7-10 minutes, remove carefully the foam that will be produced. 

After finishing with that, pour the lemon juice and stir slowly and if you want, melt with a fork the fruits that haven't melt yet (personally I don't mind tasting the whole fruit in my marmalade, it's up to you).

In a total of 25 minutes your marmalade should be ready. After you take it off the fire, season with the cinnamon, stir the mixture and let it cool. 

In order to make sure that your marmalade is jello-done, take a small portion and pour on a cold plate. Let it cool and then pass your finger so as to create a corridor; if the marmalade reconnects immediately and easily then it's not quite done and you will need to bring it to boil a second time. It's ok... it happens often and sometimes it's preferable than to burn the marmalade!!!

Note:

1) Normally the propotion between fruit and sugar is 1kg of fruits to 1kg of sugar. Though for my taste this becomes super sweet. Again personal taste! You try it and you see it!

2) Strawberry goes amazingly well with Mastiha (the natural gum from Chios island). In 1kg of strawberries, add 2 smashed tears, or a bit more than the tip of a tea spoon. It will turn your marmalade bitter, if you overdo it.

Breakfast with your homemade marmalade

Enjoy!!!