Sparkling Strawberry Jelly

Homemade jellies are easy and a great way to ring in the changes with a glut of fresh fruit. At the moment we are getting nearly a kilo of strawberries every few days. In the spring I made sorbet, now in the autumn I am making jelly. This recipe works equally well with nectarines, peaches, cherries, grapes, blueberries or raspberries.

Homemade jelly and sparkling Gaudrelle rosé.

Ingredients:
8 leaves of gelatine, soaked in 2 tbsp cold water
1 cup sugar
1½ cups hot water
½ good red fruit based cordial/syrup/squash (Pulco is my choice in France)
100g strawberries or other fresh fruit
1 tsp lemon juice
1 bottle sparkling wine, chilled

Method:

1. Mix the gelatine, sugar and hot water together until everything is dissolved.
2. Add the cordial, lemon juice and 1 cup of the sparkling wine.
3. Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour until gelling has commenced.
4. Stir in the strawberries and spoon into glasses. Leave to chill until set.
   
5. Drink the rest of the sparkling wine with smoked salmon for apéro.

Susan