CockTail Time! - Mojito

It's Mojito Time!

This is a recipe for Mojito I've used for a while now and it seems to go down well at parties. I scaled  the recipe for one serving, but you can adjust it accordingly and make a Jug full if you prefer. It's a very refreshing drink for hot summer days. Tonic water can be substituted instead of the soda water but the taste is different and somewhat bitter. Mojito's are delicious and are very easy to drink but pack a big alcohol punch that creeps up on you. You have been warned!

You will need:

9/10 fresh mint leaves.
1/2 lime cut in to wedges.
1 cup of ice cubes.
2 tablespoons of Sugar or to taste.
1 and 1/2 fluid ounces of White Rum.
1/2 cup of Club Soda (Tonic water if you cant find Club Soda)

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Use a muddler (or long spoon) to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar, and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with roughly crushed Ice. Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with Soda water. Stir, taste, and add more sugar if desired. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge and enjoy!

Summer Strawberry Jam

You will need :

• 3 cups fresh strawberries, sliced (about 1½ pint baskets or 4 cups whole berries or 1 pound)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

ahead of time chill a small plate or bowl in the freezer or over ice water this will help you test if the jam is ready to set.

Chop and slice the strawberries.

 

In a 10 or 12-inch wide pan, bring fruit, sugar, and lemon juice to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly and skimming foam as necessary. Cook about 8-10 minutes, until mixture begins to look syrupy and thickens slightly.

Spoon ½ teaspoon of the hot fruit onto the cold plate and let it rest for 30 seconds. Tip plate to one side; jam should be a soft gel that moves slightly. If mixture is thin and runs down side of plate, the gel is too soft. Return pan to the heat and cook jam 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and repeat test if you need to. its trial and error to be honest,so don't worry if it takes sometime to get it right

At this stage  I like to add a Vegan setting agent to make it more of a jelly jam than just a preserve. (Just follow the directions on the pack)

Add the Veg Gel mix to the cooling jam and mix in completely.

 Boil your jars for about 10 minutes or so to sterilize them. (use a pair or silicone thongs to remove from the boiling water and drain on a clean tea towel.

Pour in to your sterilized jars allow to cool before sealing.

Boil the sealed jars and for another 10 minutes and let cool 12-24 hours. The heat from the jam will destroy mold spores. Mmmmmm Mold Spores!