Sacramento Digs Gardening: Make a small batch of easy, lemony strawberry preserves

Dab of preserves on a plate — Meyer lemon adds a sunny note to the berries.

Sometimes I have the urge to make jam but not too much – especially if I have limited fruit. These easy preserves take only 1 pound of strawberries, 2 cups of sugar and one Meyer lemon – no added pectin necessary.

Compared to jam, preserves have larger pieces of fruit – even whole small berries. Larger strawberries are quartered or sliced.

This recipe does take a little advance planning. To bring out their juice, the strawberries need to sit in the sugar for six hours (or overnight). This process helps the berries retain their bright red color.

Added just before cooking, the Meyer lemon juice and zest add a bright, sunny note to the berries.

The result is soft and spreadable. Keep the finished preserves in the refrigerator.

Sunny strawberry-Meyer lemon preserves

Makes about 1 pint (2 cups)

Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled and quartered (about 2 cups)

2 cups sugar

Zest of 1 Meyer lemon

2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

Instructions:

In a large stainless steel or non-reactive bowl, mix strawberries with sugar. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours (or overnight), stirring occasionally.

Strawberries boiling in a pot — Bring the berries to a boil, then simmer.

Transfer berries, sugar and syrupy juice to a large heavy pot. (It needs room to bubble.) Add lemon zest and juice.

Over high heat, bring strawberry mixture to a boil, stirring often so it doesn’t stick or burn. Let boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and let preserves simmer, stirring often, until desired consistency (about 10 to 15 minutes).

Remove from heat and transfer to a sterilized jar or other container. Cover and store in the refrigerator. May be frozen up to 6 months.

When is jam (or jelly or preserves) ready? To test consistency, freeze a small plate in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. Spoon a ½ teaspoon of preserves onto cold plate and return it to freezer. Check in 2 minutes. If the jam/jelly/preserves doesn’t run when the plate is turned sideways, it’s done.

RECIPE

A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.

Keywords:

strawberries spring spring produce preserves Meyer Lemon recipe recipes produce management backyard produce farmers markets Sacramento gardening

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Garden checklist for week of April 19

After this midweek storm, start getting serious about spring gardening. Flowers are blooming about three weeks ahead of schedule. That includes weeds!

* Get ready to swing into action in the vegetable garden – if you haven’t already. As nights warm up over 50 degrees, set out tomato, pepper and eggplant transplants.

* From seed, plant beans, beets, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumbers, melons, radishes and squash; wait on pumpkins until May. Plant onion sets.

* In the flower garden, plant seeds for asters, cosmos, celosia, marigolds, salvia, sunflowers and zinnias. Transplant petunias, zinnias, geraniums and other summer bloomers.

* Plant perennials and dahlia tubers for summer bloom. Late April is about the last chance to plant summer bulbs, such as gladiolus and tuberous begonias.

* Transplant lettuce and cabbage seedlings.

* April is the last chance to plant citrus trees such as dwarf orange, lemon and kumquat. These trees also look good in landscaping and provide fresh fruit in winter.

* Smell orange blossoms? Give citrus trees a low dose of balanced fertilizer (such as 10-10-10) during bloom to help set fruit. Keep an eye out for ants. If leaves look yellow, your tree may need an iron boost -- apply some chelated iron fertilizer.

* Apply slow-release fertilizer to the lawn.

* Thoroughly clean debris from the bottom of outdoor ponds or fountains.

* Spring brings a flush of rapid growth, and that means your garden needs nutrition. Give shrubs and trees a slow-release fertilizer. Mulch with a 1-inch layer of compost, which helps the soil, but keep it a few inches away from trunks and stems.

* Azaleas and camellias looking a little yellow? If leaves are turning yellow between the veins, give them a boost with chelated iron.

* Trim dead flowers but not leaves from spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. Those leaves gather energy to create next year's flowers. Also, give the bulbs a fertilizer boost after bloom.

* Pinch chrysanthemums back to 12 inches for fall flowers. Cut old stems to the ground.

* Mulch around plants to conserve moisture and control weeds.

Send us a gardening question, a post suggestion or information about an upcoming event. sacdigsgardening@gmail.com

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