This is not a cupboard-filling preserve. It is a small refrigerator jam for the kind of Saturday when the windows are open and there is nowhere urgent to be.
A tiny batch
- 500 g ripe strawberries, hulled and halved
- 180 g sugar
- The juice of half a lemon
- A pinch of salt
Put everything in a wide saucepan and let it sit for ten minutes. The berries will begin to shine and release their juice. Bring it to a lively simmer, stirring often, until the fruit softens and the syrup lightly coats a spoon—about fifteen minutes.
Keep it a little loose
The jam thickens as it cools, so stop sooner than instinct suggests. I like to leave a few pieces of berry whole. They feel like finding rubies on your toast.
Spoon it into a clean jar, cool, and keep refrigerated. It is happiest eaten within two weeks—preferably while wearing slippers.