RASPBERRY JAM









One of the best parts of living in Portland is the berries -- they all have their unique charm and place, blueberries for breakfast, cherries anytime, strawberries in tarts or atop cupcakes, but it's the raspberry that holds the biggest, sassiest spot in my heart. Berry-picking is something we do every other weekend during summer, and when the raspberries come out, D and I both go nuts. Literally, we stand in front of the raspberry bushes and smash as many as possible into our pie holes. We cannot get enough of this annual gluttony. The combination of flavor -- deep and outstanding-- and the deal -- they're so expensive usually, during this short window, we must eat at least until our bellies ache, think of the savings! The raspberries send us into our primal selves, revealing that at our core, D and I like bargains, sweets and can tolerate tummy issues when need be, maybe that's why we did so well in India?

Anyway, after gorging on berries, one must make the rest into jam -- that's my motto, at least. I use Clotilde's method for canning my jams, and have had success after success. The jist is a 2:1 ratio of fruit to sugar, cook for about 25 minutes, pour into sterilized jars and store for whenever.

My favorite ways of eating jam are:
- straight from the soon while scanning the fridge
- a dollop melted into a glass of chamomile tea
- stirred into yogurt
- smeared onto peanut butter toast
- as a topping for ice cream
- mixed into a nice butter, i call this "raspberry butter"
- a bit in a savory marinade or salad dressing
- swizzled into a cocktail.

IT'S ENDLESSLY YUMMY, THAT RASPBERRY JAM!

4 comments:

  1. i've got it so simple 25 min 2/1 ratio
    and jam on chamomile tea next time you are in town at the french press they have a chamomile tea with steamed soy milk and honey da bomb

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  2. looks like a molten jewel. really pretty. x shayma

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  3. i feel honored each day to enjoy the bounty of planet earth with such a wondrous being. growing food together and enjoying life together is a joy unlike any other. !!

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  4. It's painful reading this blog. I feel like I'm pregnant again craving anything and everything. (I used to favorite pics of food on flickr for hours)

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