Search

Free e-Book

Links

Jams

Home-Made Jams

Because of the amount of sugar that is used in most commercially available jams, they should be avoided – especially by those who are prone to colds and flu.

There are sugar-free jams available today – of these, we highly recommend the St Dalfour Range (in a tall, narrow glass jar). This range is imported from France and is excellent.

The home-made jams below will serve only to give you a few ideas. Put your inventive genius to work in experimenting with alternatives.

Do not make large quantities at one time as discoloration will occur after a while. Always store home-made jams in the refrigerator.

We invite you to share any ideas with us.

If required, additional honey or fructose or stevia may be added to taste.

Tropical-Fruit Jam (F)

1 1/2 cups NC prunes
1 cup grape juice
1 1/4 cup NC dried apricots
1/2 cup grated pineapple

You may use dates instead of apricots. Soak prunes and apricots (dates) in grape juice (or water) overnight. Blend with pineapple in blender until smooth. Store in refrigerator.

Raisin-Date-Pineapple Jam (F)

1 cup NC raisins
1/4 cup pineapple
1 cup NCdates or NC prunes

Soak raisins in 1/2 cup water or grape juice overnight. Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Add only enough water (or orange juice) to assist blending action. Refrigerate.

Quick Jams and Toppings

Once again, in this area you may let your imagination run wild. Never make large portions when experimenting. On this programme you will never stop experimenting and you will love it. Food preparation becomes exciting when you come up with your own ideas. Here are a few ideas to try:

BLEND TOGETHER THE FOLLOWING – assist blender action using rubber spatula. Add freshly squeezed grape, apple or orange juice for added flavour, as well as to assist blender action, but do not make mixture too liquid:-

(a) A peach, a banana plus a handful of sultanas plus honey to taste.
(b) Half an avocado, a small pear and a banana.
(c) Half a cup chopped pineapple, a peach and a banana with a handful of NC sultanas.
(d) One mango, a peach and 1/4 cup of NC dates.
(e) One banana and 1/4 cup NC dates.
(f) A pear, the juice of half an orange and a handful of NC sultanas.
(g) Mango and banana.

The possible combinations are endless. Try your own combinations.

Blend with enough water or milk to help blender action. Delicious on toast, bread or waffles. Do not keep left-overs. Rather eat as a fruit salad or use as a fruit topping.

Date Jam (F)

NC dates (chopped into quarters)
water
orange juice (optional)

Cover desired amount of dates with boiling water. Simmer for 2 hours to soften. Make sure there are no pips in dates. Blend together with a little water or orange juice. Store in refrigerator. By adding a little ascorbic acid (vitamin C) you will extend shelf life and add a slight tanginess. This is one of our favorites which we use on toast and to sweeten porridges and cereals.

Date Spread

1 500 g packet NC dates or NC prunes (may add apples for variation). Place in pot with a little water. Allow fruit to simmer gently until soft. When cooled a little, place in blender and blend until desired texture is achieved.

Any NC dried fruit may be used. When using NC apricots, add a few NC dates to sweeten. Alternatively, add pineapple juice, NC dates and a little lemon juice (this makes a good marmalade type jam).

Orange-Apricot Marmalade

1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp almond extract
4 Tbsp tapioca
4 Tbsp NC honey
2 Tbsp dried orange rind
1/2 cup NC dried apricots
2 Tbsp orange juice concentrate

Cook all ingredients together until thickened. Cool and refrigerate.

Peanut-Pineapple Jam

1 cup pineapple juice
1 cup NC peanut butter
crushed pineapple

Dilute peanut butter with pineapple juice and add crushed pineapple.

Pineapple Spread (F)

1/2 pineapple
1/2 cup NC cashew nuts
1/4 cup cream

Grate pineapple. Cook in a little water on medium heat for 15 minutes. Add cashew nuts and cream. Salt if desired. Blend together, adding only enough water to aid blender action.

Quick Marmalade (F)

1/2 cup NC raisins
1/2 cup NC sultanas
1 orange

Place raisins and sultanas in blender. Add juice from orange. Blend.

Grape or Date Jam (F)

2 cups grape juice
1 cup NC raisins or NC dates
3 Tbsp NC corn starch

Heat 1 cup grape juice and 1 cup raisins (or dates) until raisins are plumped (or dates are soft). Add additional cup of grape juice, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Mix arrowroot or corn starch with 3 Tbsp water until smooth. Add to cooking mixture and stir constantly until thickened. Refrigerate.

Basic Jam Recipe (F)

1 cup fruit in season
NC honey to taste
2-3 cups fruit juice

Use fruits or berries. Use almost any juice that is in season, but it must be from fresh fruit. Soak fruit in half the juice for some time. Add fruit and all the juice to saucepan, and cook over low heat for half an hour. Remove from heat. When just warm, add NC honey to taste. Refrigerate.

Remember, it is not a good idea to cook honey at high temperature. Orange juice does not take too well to heat either. If a marmalade-type flavour is required, cook the fruit in water, and only then add the orange juice with the NC honey. You may try various combinations of fruits and of fruit juices.

Article Index