Yes, my energy and appetite are finally back- with a vengeance! And just in time to enjoy the things in life that make me truly happy: summer thunderstorms, reading at the pool, long evenings listening to waves, grilling out with Joe, and ripe berries.
I took this month's
opportunity to experiment with one of my very favorite summer fruits, the mango. With the aid of my Chef-husband (who has taken quite an interest in my canning adventures), and my new go-to book "The Flavor Bible", I came up with a ginger and pepper combo that was destined for greatness.Like tiny gems, sweet bits of mango lie suspended in the tart, red raspberry jam. Fresh ginger and ground pepper give it an underlying bite of spice. Both fruity and tangy, this jam encapsulates summertime in Florida so well I can easily see it becoming a classic in my jamming repertoire. I've already had Christmas gift requests for it! I'm pretty sure I'm going to be making a bigger batch of Raspberry-Mango Jam in the future...
3 1/2 pint jars, lids and rings
1 mango
3 Cups raspberries
2 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP fresh grated ginger root
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 package pectin
Sterilize jars and rings in boiling water, and lids in hot water. Peel and dice mango; wash and sort through the berries to remove mold, stems and bugs. In a medium sauce pan add mango, raspberries, lemon juice, ginger, salt and pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes, until raspberries are broken down and mango begins to soften. Add sugar and pectin and bring to a boil for one minute. Let cool for five minutes and pack into sterilized jars. Process five minutes.
