Eastern European

Varenye

Name: Varenye
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 1 serving
Cuisine: Eastern European
Ingredients: 250 g strawberries; 175 g granulated sugar; 30 ml water; 1 tsp lemon juice

A Russian whole-fruit preserve: strawberries kept whole in a clear, ruby syrup by short boils and long rests, so the fruit stays plump rather than collapsing into jam. Eaten by the spoonful with tea, or over blini and curd.

Desserts Snacks Vegan

45 min15 prep · 30 cookMedium761 kcalper serving

Method

Hull 250 g of small, firm strawberries, rinse briefly and drain thoroughly on a cloth; wet fruit will thin the syrup. Do not cut them — varenye is a whole-fruit preserve.
Layer the berries in a bowl with 175 g of granulated sugar, finishing with a sugar layer. Cover and leave at room temperature for 4 hours (or overnight in the fridge), until the fruit sits in a pool of its own dark juice and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
Slide fruit and syrup into a wide, heavy pan (a low, broad pan lets steam escape so the fruit needs less boiling) and add 30 ml of water. Set over low heat and bring to a bare simmer without stirring, tilting and shaking the pan instead so the berries stay intact.