Chocolate Raspberry Jam

It's a cold rainy day, my iPhone died and I have a good burn on my right hand. All the more reason to stay home and eat chocolate!

The original title for today's offering was, "Chocolate Raspberry Sunday Topper", which of course, you may certainly use this recipe for that purpose. However, we tweaked the original recipe, doubled the Cocoa, increased the lemon juice and added a nice chili powder (purely optional). This, my friends, leaves the original recipe in the dust. Now we have an honest to goodness, pass the spoons around, lick the jar clean, Chocolate Jam!

CHOCOLATE JAM!

Yes, I'll wait until your pulse slows down.

I know what you're thinking. You must be doing something right in order to have lived long enough to have chocolate for breakfast.

I know, it makes me happy too!

My little group of "Canning B's" (my Sept. 20 canning class) decided this would be delicious over a nice round of warm French Triple Cream Brie, with toasted brioche. I will let you decide.

Note: This recipe can be halved, and it can be put in glass jars and kept in the fridge for at least a 2-3 months if you choose NOT to can it. I promise you this, it will not last very long.

Chocolate Raspberry Jam

Makes: ( 6) 8oz. jars or (12) 4 oz. jars

1 cup sifted unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Package (1.75 oz) regular powdered fruit pectin
4 1/2 cups Crushed red Raspberries (use frozen, or freeze fresh berries for higher Juice yield)
8 Tbl Lemon Juice (you must use bottled lemon juice, they do make an organic one)
6 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2-3 Tbl ground Pasilla chili powder (optional)

1. Prepare canner, jars, lids (if you've taken my class, you KNOW how to do this!)

2. In a medium bowl combine cocoa powder and pectin, stirring until evenly blended, set aside.

3. In a large stainless saucepan ( 2- 3 quarts), over low heat , combine crushed raspberries and lemon juice, whisk in pectin/cocoa mixture until pectin is dissolved. The mixture will look “muddy”. Raise heat to medium high and bring mixture to a boil, stir frequently. Next, add sugar all at once, stir and return to a full rolling boil (you may need to raise heat to high) for one full minute, stir constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Add Pasilla powder at this time if using.

4. Ladle hot Jam in to hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace. Remove air bubbles from the jar with a knife, and adjust head space, by adding more jam if needed. Wipe rim, center lid on jar and screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

5. Place jars in canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water, and place lid on pot. Bring water to a boil and process for 15 minutes (for Colorado) ; 10 minutes at Sea Level. Remove lid from canner, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars, cool 12-24 hours before moving. Label and store.

Enjoy,

Chef Deb T

Our Next Canning Classes:

Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009 10:00a -1:00p Fee: $55 p/p

Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009 10:00a -1:00p Fee: $55 p/p

Space is still available:

303.817.4313

Morton's Orchards: A Good Beginning and Pink Peppercorn Peach Jam

AND Lavender Peach Jam too!
I have been agonizing for weeks on what I would use for my very first blog. Content is not an issue. Honestly, if you speak to me for more then five seconds you will quickly realize I am never short of ideas. In fact, my mind has always been in a huge hurry to know more, see more, store more, and to offer more. I really just needed a push and I think the end of one season and the beginning of another is just the nudge I needed.

Last week at our Farmer's Market, I was asked to do a few recipes involving peaches and plums. I was given a case of really gorgeous Palisade, Colorado Peaches (from Morton's Orchard) and told to have fun. Let me say this again...I was given a CASE! Swoon!! After I put the box in my front seat, and seat belted it in, I took all the smooth roads home. One cannot be too careful, this was a CASE after all.

I had visions of cakes, chutneys, salsa, pies and even butters. But in the end, I decided to do four, low sugar no pectin peach jams. I took Pink Peppercorn Peach and Vanilla Bean Peach jam to the market this week and as usual we ran out. I hope you will try these easy small batch recipes.

See you at the Market.

Chef Deb

                                   Peach Jam Recipes

               Small batch, no pectin Spoon Jams

When buying peaches at the peak of their season consider buying more and storing them in the freezer to make simple jams during the colder months. These recipes must be stored in the refrigerator and should last for 2-3 months.
Peel peaches by cutting an “x” at the bottom of each, put into a pot of boiling water for 30-45 seconds, remove from hot water and put into a bowl of ice water. Peels will slip off easily. Slice and chop peaches and proceed with recipe or freeze them in plastic freezer bags.

The Fruit to sugar ratio is 3:1. Recipes can be doubled, tripled or halved.

                                Vanilla Bean Peach Spoon Jam

Yield: Three  8 oz jars

6 cups fresh peaches, peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups sugar
1/2-teaspoon butter
1 Vanilla bean, cut in half lengthwise and seeds scrape out
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Layer peaches and sugar in a bowl, ending with sugar, cover and let rest for several hours or overnight.
Put peach and sugar mixture into a medium heavy bottom pot, add butter. Bring the peaches to a boil and continue boiling up to 30-35 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir it on occasion. Add Lemon juice, whole vanilla bean and its seeds, and cook for 5 more minutes. Begin checking for “gel”, by taking a spoonful and putting a few drops onto a cool plate, wait 1 minute and touch it to see if you like the consistency. When ready pour into clean warm jars, wipe the lid, and seal tightly. Let cool to room temperature and refrigerator for 2-3 months.

Variations:
*Vanilla Bourbon Peach Jam: add 1 Tablespoon Bourbon with the vanilla and lemon juice. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

* Pink (or Green) Peppercorn Jam: Proceed as above; substitute 1 teaspoon crushed Pink or Green Peppercorns for Vanilla bean.

* Lavender peach Jam: Steep 1 Tablespoons dried lavender buds in 1/4 cup hot water for 15 minutes, strain out flowers and keep the lavender water. Pour lavender water into pot at the beginning of the cooking process. Omit vanilla bean, but add lemon juice. When pouring the jam into jars, sprinkle a few lavender buds on top. (Always start out with less lavender as the flavor can be overpowering. The flavor will concentrate as the jam reduces).