Cherry, strawberry and rose liqueur jam

by Ana-Marija

Once upon a time (aka last week) there were far too many cherries and strawberries in the fridge for our family to devour (no matter how devoted  to the task we may have been) so I thought it would be a shame to let them go to waste. I love home made jam, but am not a particular fan of the strawberry-only kind. However, when combined with cherries, the strawberries take on a whole new dimension. And to top it all off, a bit of my grandmother’s rozulin (rose liqueur). It gives this jam that je ne sais quoi that you won’t find elsewhere. If you don’t have rose liqueur on hand, I’d like to suggest to get some, but if that’s not an option, a drop or two (not more) of rosewater will do. It is a bit less complex (and less subtle) in flavor, but still better than nothing.

I’ll keep the post short and sweet (pun intended): this jam is quite liquid and as such ideal for all of the following:
a) as regular jam – with bread and butter
b) spread on sponge rolls
c) as a fancy addition to your porridge
d) as an elegant topping for your vanilla ice cream – my use of choice.

If you decide to use it as ice cream topping, sprinkle some almonds on top – they marry well with the cherries.

 

Cherry, Strawberry and Rose Liqueur Jam

  • 500 g strawberries
  • 500 g cherries
  • 500 g sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 vanilla pod)
  • 3 tablespoons rose liqueur (or a few drops of rosewater – the exact amount will vary depending on the brand you use)

Wash the fruit, hull the strawberries, pit the cherries and remove the stems.

Using a food processor or a blender, chop half the fruit into smaller chunks. Chop the remaining half with a knife, making sure that the pieces of fruit are large (this will ensure a more interesting texture of the final product).

Put a dessert plate into the freezer (if you’re wondering why, keep reading).

Place the prepared fruit, sugar and vanilla into a pot and place over medium to high heat. Stir often and if any foam comes out on top, remove it.

When the jam begins to thicken, place a teaspoon on the dessert plate from the freezer. It will immediately cool the jam and you will be able to see whether your jam has reached the right consistenca. If it still seems too liquid, keep cooking and repeat the dessert-plate-in-the-freezer procedure. Cooking this amount of ingredients will take approximately 20 minutes on medium-high heat.

When the jam is done, remove it from the heat, let it cool for five minutes, stir in the rose liqueur and pour into sterilized jars.

Keep in a cool place.

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