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:

1. Wash the berries , wipe dry .

2. hull and quarter the strawberries .

3. Do not chop blueberries.

4. In a pan add the chopped strawberries and blueberries .

5. Mix in the powdered jaggery .

6. Add in the lemon zest and lime juice .

7. Keep the flame on low and let the whole mixture bubble .

8. Do not add water and let the berries cook in their own juices . This also keeps their shelf life longer .

9. The juice of berries will melt the powdered jaggery and make it syrupy .

10. Keep occasional stirring and check the consistency .

11. Within 10-12 minutes you will see the texture changing from a thin juicy mixture to a thick satiny mixture .

12. Test with a drop on a plate , it will seem to gel on it and remain thick .

13. Remove and cool .

14. 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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