It’s berry season, my favorite season. It’s the time of the year when I can go out to brunch and not get a gross bowl of melon melange as my side of fruit. I love berries so much and raspberries – well, they just might be my favorite. And I’m paying homage to them today with this homemade raspberry, chile and ginger jam.
My love of raspberries (and peaches- see here for the best summertime peach dessert!) stems from summers in Canada. While the farmstand, roadside peaches went to the aforementioned cake, we ate our raspberries the simpler way: fresh in a bowl, the slightest sprinkle of sugar and a healthy drizzle of fresh Canadian cream.
I say Canadian cream as if its a thing but have you ever tried heavy cream in Canada? Those cows up there are certainly happy cows, because if you have theirs and then have ours you might be tempted to pack up and head north.
Anyway, I digress. That simple breakfast/snack/dessert of raspberries and cream set me up for a lifetime love that particular berry. Raspberry jam is my go-to when it comes to Linzer cookies, a cake drizzle, or a pairing with chocolate. Last week, as I was perusing this month’s Food and Wine, in the ‘products to try’ section, I can across the mention of a raspberry, red chile and ginger jam and well, I just couldn’t help but try my hand at making my own.
The ingredients are simple and few. Four, to be exact and I’m cheating on the fresh summer fruit by going frozen. Yes, it sort of defeats my ‘love of summer fruit’ thing by going for the freezer section, but because frozen fruit tends to be juicier, it was just the vibe I wanted for this jam.
I also went for the tubed ginger paste in the refrigerator section simply because my grocery store was out of fresh ginger! What? Anyway, if you have fresh ginger, use the same amount, but break out the mortar and pestle and make a paste of it. Doing so will just help everything meld together better and prevent any wayward ginger chunks.
It’s an easy job, this jam. Everything into the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer until desired consistency. Served best on the freshest bread or, as you’ll see next week (probably), swirled throughout creamy ice cream. Oh, just wait for it.
Until then, this is a delicious way to keep berry season alive and thriving.
Raspberry Chili and Ginger Jam
Sweet raspberries, tangy ginger and spicy chilies make for the perfect combination in this homemade raspberry, chili and ginger jam.
Ingredients
- 12 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, made into a paste with a mortar and pestle
- 1 red chile pepper, minced and seeds removed
Directions
- Step 1 Place all the ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a bubble, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. You should be able to drag your spoon down the middle of the jam and see the bottom without it bleeding over (sort of like parting the Red Sea!). Once the jam is to your desired consistency, store in a glass jar and refrigerate for up to three weeks.
