Mixed Berry Jam

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover fruits or berries that have been lying around in your kitchen and fridge for quite a while. It’s also perfect when certain fruits are in season and of course, then cheaper to buy.

In this part of the world, berries tend to be really expensive. In fact, if you want to buy the really good strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or cherries, you'll have to pocket out quite a number of pennies… or in our case Dirhams. So, most of the time, I opt to buy frozen fruits for my milkshakes and smoothies. Plus, they last longer too. But sometimes, I find that the packets tend to stay too long in my freezer. Which is why, I decided to try my hand at making this jam ;)

 If you haven't made jam before, well, here is a great place to start. This recipe is not only simple, but it can be made with any mix of berries – I had a packet of mixed berries lying around in my freezer, which had raspberries, cranberries, blueberries, cherries and blackberries. I also added a packet of frozen strawberries to it.

This jam should last you a nice 3 weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze it and make it last longer for up to 6 months.

Happy jamming!

Measure all the ingredients out.

Place the berries and sugar in a large bowl and combine it carefully. Make sure not to smash the fruits too much. Let it macerate for about 15 minutes, or until the sugar as begun to dissolve into the fruit.

Now transfer the fruit & sugar concoction into a heavy bottomed vessel. Place on a stove and turn the burner on to medium. 

Slowly, bring it to a boil. Then add the salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Ideally, by this time the fruit must have  broken down and the mixture should have thickened slightly. If this has not happened, use a wooden spoon or a potato masher to gently mash the fruits up a bit. I love to taste the fruit pieces in my jam, so I don’t really do this too much.

When the jam is done, it will still have a bit of a loose consistency to it. Don't worry, it will harden as it cools down. Test it by coating the back of a wooden spoon. If it does not drip off easily, your jam is done! 

Remove the jam from the heat and immediately pour it into clean glass jars. Then leave it to cool for about 10 minutes. Finally, cap the jars securely and allow them to cool completely before placing in the fridge. 

Enjoy with bread and butter, yogurt, your morning oatmeal, scones, pancakes, waffles and even ice cream. Yummmmmmmay!