The sweet ways home cooks are supporting farmers

AUSTRALIANS are taking a sweet approach to supporting farmers hit hard by the strawberry sabotage.

Home cooks have been whipping up batches of strawberry jam to make use of the cheap fruit available.

The preparation of the jam involves chopping up the fruit, which authorities have recommended to make sure the strawberries have not been contaminated.

Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland, Deb Frecklington, posted her secret family recipe for strawberry jam on Twitter and encouraged others to keep buying the fruit and supporting farmers.

Strawberries Australia chairman John Calle warned about a dozen Queensland strawberry growers were likely to go under this year and more could follow if the fallout from the needle crisis spreads.

Farmers were struggling even before the needle sabotage was discovered and had been forced to dump fruit that was not big enough to meet retailers’ demand for extra-large berries.

Australians are being urged to keep buying strawberries and to just cut them up before eating.

Here is an easy recipe to get you started.

MICROWAVE STRAWBERRY JAM

Ingredients 500g strawberries, hulled, roughly chopped

1 1⁄2 cups caster sugar 1⁄4 cup lemon juice Method

1. Place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a very large microwave-safe bowl.

2. Leave for 15 minutes to allow the strawberries to soften.

3. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 4 minutes, stopping every minute to stir the jam to ensure sugar is dissolved.

4. Microwave a further 25–30 minutes on high, stirring every 5 minutes or until the jam reaches setting point. (To check, place a spoonful of jam on a chilled saucer and place it in the freezer for 2–3 minutes. Run a spoon through the jam and if it stays in two separate portions it is set.)

5. Leave to cool for a few minutes and pour into a sterilised jar and seal.

Charis Chang