Strawberry Blueberry Jam
I love making jams , even small quantities almost every fortnight to go with bread and making simple sandwiches . The store bought ones though tempting with great flavors do entice me but am wary of the loads of sugar and gelatine hence home made is the only answer .
Unlike what many think about jam making as a tiresome chore that needs lots of patience , I do not think so as first of all I do not make them in large quantities for the simple reason I love experimenting with fruits combinations and flavors ., so the weekly run to the groceries will see me picking up some seasonal fruits for the fortnight .
One such run saw me picking up some juicy awesome berries , blueberries and strawberries .
Both are my favourite berries for many recipes such as crumbles, cheesecakes and smoothies .
But I had planned to make a simple easy jar of jam .So here goes ....
Strawberry Blueberry jam
Ingredients:
3 cups of strawberries
2 cups of blueberries
2 cups of powdered native palm jaggery ( or organic jaggery )
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 tbsp lemon zest
Method:
Wash the berries , wipe dry .
hull and quarter the strawberries .
Do not chop blueberries.
In a pan add the chopped strawberries and blueberries .
Mix in the powdered jaggery .
Add in the lemon zest and lime juice .
Keep the flame on low and let the whole mixture bubble .
Do not add water and let the berries cook in their own juices . This also keeps their shelf life longer .
The juice of berries will melt the powdered jaggery and make it syrupy .
Keep occasional stirring and check the consistency .
Within 10-12 minutes you will see the texture changing from a thin juicy mixture to a thick satiny mixture .
Test with a drop on a plate , it will seem to gel on it and remain thick .
Remove and cool .
Bottle when cooled well.
Suggestion :
You can also make this into a fruity preserve with lighter consistency .
Which can be used to make fruit yogurts and mixed with just about anything from breads , cakes , pour on pancakes and fruit shakes or smoothies too .
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