Because this part of the year is so drab, it's the perfect time for me to dig into a bright, fruity preserve that I made late last Summer when fruit was at it's peak (and cheap!). The medley began with a pile of local, organic cherries, wild blueberries and crushed pineapple, which I loosened up with a splash of pomegranate-blueberry juice. After the mixture cooked down a touch, things moved double time thanks to a pectin-infused "jam sugar" (the same kind I've used before in preserves like this). The hardest part was waiting for it to boil (doubly true if your fruit is frozen, as it likely is now) - but the second hardest thing was waiting overnight for it to fully set. That's not to say this preserve wouldn't be delicious right away (hello, vanilla ice cream topping!) but for spreading, that pectin needs to do it's job. Sigh - the things we must go through for delicious food!
Shared with Waste Not Want Not Wednesday and Gluten-Free Wednesdays
Makes 4 1/2 cups, 36 (2-tbsp) servings
¾ cup 100% pomegranate-blueberry juice (or 100% pomegranate or cherry juice)
1 cup finely chopped, pitted sweet cherries (do not drain if frozen)
1 cup blueberries (do not drain if frozen)
1 cup diced pineapple, drained if canned
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 kg (1 package) "jam sugar" with added pectin (I used Redpath's QuickSet for Jam)
- Combine juice, cherries, blueberries and pineapple in a pot and mash slightly. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until berries soften and begin to burst.
- Add the lemon juice and jam sugar, return to a hard boil and cook 4 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Process 10 minutes in a water-bath canner or store in the fridge up to 3 weeks.
Calories: 115.7
Total Fat: 0.0 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 1.2 mg
Total Carbs: 30.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.2 g
Protein: 0.1 g
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