Wilkin and Sons’ famous Little Scarlet is a uniquely special strawberry jam, but let’s face it, it’s rather pricey. While it’s wonderful for special occasions, for most of us, it’s probably a bit much for everyday consumption. Fortunately the same manufacturer offers an alternative made with their usual care, but for a more reasonable price – the classic Strawberry Conserve you see right here.
Just like its illustrious sibling, this strawberry jam is made with a very high proportion of fruit – 55% by weight, in fact. There’s no requirement to use this much fruit in jam, and very few manufacturers do, but Wilkin and Sons think it’s worth it. It’s made using a very simple recipe, and produced in small batches using old-fashioned copper-bottomed pans. Nothing too fancy, nothing too clever, just honest strawberry jam done really, really well.
What we love about this Wilkin and Sons Tiptree Strawberry jam is that everything is so balanced. The flavour has just the right blend of sweetness and acidity – thanks to the high proportion of fruit, it’s not too sweet. The texture is soft enough that it’s easy to spread, but firm enough to use as a filling in a sponge cake, or to spoon onto scones. It has a lovely rich, deep, dark colour that looks wonderful alongside yoghurt or clotted cream. It’s also packed full of strawberry pieces.
There’s not much more we can tell you about this stuff. It’s just strawberry jam, and everybody knows what that is. However, it’s a really good strawberry jam with a fresh, juicy flavour. You can enjoy it every day on bread or toast as part of your breakfast, or use it for a special afternoon treat. Tiptree Strawberry Conserve with some clotted cream and scones makes for a perfect afternoon tea. It’s also wonderful stirred into some porridge on a cold winter’s morning.
