Strawberry Jam

In the Spring, strawberry is of abundance in Switzerland. You can go to a farm, get a basket and pick your own strawberries as many as you like, even eating along the way, and paying a fraction of what you would at a store. My boys love strawberries and can eat a pound just by themselves. But when you find yourself with too many strawberries on hand, here is an easy recipe that can turn your strawberries into jam in no time. 

Ingredients:

2 lbs strawberries, hulled and crushed

3 cups sugar

1/4 cup lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients in a heavy sauce pan. Cook on low heat until sugar dissolves. 

2. In the mean time, stick a small plate in the freezer. 

3. Turn up to a boil and continue to stir mixture. If foam appears, spoon them off with a stainless steel spoon. 

4. Once the mixture start to thickens, test if it is the consistency you want using the frozen plate. Put a drop on the plate and return the plate to the freezer for 30 seconds. Take the plate out and tilt to see if it runs. If it is too runny, continue to boil the mixture and test again. Always test a bit early (once it starts to thicken) since when it is too thick it will be too late to salvage.

5. Once mixture is done, let cool and transfer into glass mason jars or preserving jars. You can skip the pasteurization step if you keep the jam in the fridge.  Shelf life is about 8 weeks if kept in a preserving jar in a 5 deg C refrigerator.

This picture: the jar on the left is a Preserving Jar, made in France. I think this is best to keep jams, jellies and preserves. The jar on the right is a Mason Jar. Sterilization and pasteurization are needed but the good thing is that you don't need to refrigerate the jars before opening. 

Beef with French Beans

This is a super easy recipe when you are pressed with time but want to cook something delicious. The ingredients are quite basic that I always have in my pantry. You can substitute the french beans with any kind of vegetable and it works just as well. 

Ingredients: 

350 grams lean ground beef

200 grams french beans, cut the ends and cut into 2 inch length

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

Salt

Black Pepper

Ground Ginger

Paprika powder

1 tbs butter

1/8 cup sesame oil

Preparation:

1. In a wok, boil about 2 cups of water and sprinkle with a little salt. Once boiled, cook french beans until just soft to the bite. Set aside.

2. Drain all water from the wok, heat buttet and fry onions and garlic until fragrant. 

3. Add beef and season with all ground spices. Once half cooked, add sesame oil. Cook until done.