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Varenye
Fruit preserve in syrup
Varenye (Варенье): whole wild strawberries or cherries in clear syrup for the tea table
Varenye is not quite jam: whole berries or fruit are steeped and cooked in short bursts so they stay intact in a clear, glossy syrup. All summer at dachas around Moscow and Vladimir, copper basins of strawberry, cherry or gooseberry varenye bubble outside, and in winter it is spooned into tiny glass rosettes and eaten with tea, sometimes straight from the spoon between sips. The common mistake is boiling it in one long go, which turns the fruit to mush. Chef's tip: cook it in three short boils with long rests between; the fruit soaks up syrup slowly and stays whole.
- Total time
- 780 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Hull or pit 2 ¼ lb small strawberries or pitted cherries carefully, keeping it whole.
10 minStep 2: Heat 1 ¾ lb sugar and ¾ cup water in a wide pan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves into a clear syrup. Add the fruit, bring just to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, skimming off the foam.
10 minStep 3: Take off the heat and leave for 6 hours, or overnight, so the fruit absorbs the syrup.
360 minStep 4: Bring to the boil again and simmer for 5–7 minutes, skimming, then rest again for 6 hours.
10 minStep 5: Boil a third time with 1 tbsp lemon juice for 10–15 minutes until the syrup coats a spoon and a drop on a cold saucer holds its shape. Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal straight away. Store in a cool, dark place for up to a year; once opened, keep in the fridge.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 120 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 31 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does varenye take?
- About 780 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 760 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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