THE TASTIEST PINEAPPLE-GINGER JAM

There are many different types of commercial pineapple jams to be had, some good, some bad and others terrible. Most contain preservatives and other unhealthy stuff which isn't good for your general well-being.

But making your own assures you highest quality and superb taste. A well made jam produced in your own kitchen can easily keep for up to a year without losing its appearance or taste.

Pineapple-Ginger jam with fresh
home-baked bread

I have made jams and marmalades for many years, always using fruit when easily available at the peak of their season when such fruit is less expensive. This will allow you to to experiment occasionally, combining different fruit together or adding some spices for a change from the regular, everyday jams.

For this recipe I decided to add ginger to pineapple. Pineapple jam on its own is a bit humdrum generally but I know that fresh ginger brings a spicy liveliness to most everything. And, believe me, I wasn't wrong.

To make this jam is quite easy and not too time consuming. The work should be divided into two sections. Prep everything the first day and do the actual boiling of the jam the next day. But if you have the time do the first part in the morning and later in the afternoon you make the jam.

This is not the traditional way of making jam but it gives a tastier jam by eliminating additional water.

So, let us start with the recipe and what is needed.

fresh cubed pineapple

Ingredients:

1.2 kg fresh pineapple, cubed
150 g fresh ginger pulp obtained from about 300 g fresh ginger root
700 g sugar
2 tsp citric acid, dissolved in 4 Tbsp water

grated fresh ginger

Equipment:

3 jam jars and a large pot for sterilizing
Food processor, bowls and grater
tongs for lifting jars
sterilized funnel, jug and ladle
stainless steel pot for jam making
sugar thermometer (or a couple of chilled saucers)

Method:

Prep:

Processed pineapple and ginger

Peel and cube the pineapple, 2 large ones should give the required amount. Make sure to remove any eyes and all of the core.
Peel and grate the ginger and then pass it through a sieve to obtain the pulp.
Place pineapple and ginger in the food processor, if necessary in two batches, and process until there are no more chunks.
Pour into a large bowl and add the sugar. Stir it in to dissolve, then cover and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.
This will help to produce more juice, so no additional water is required to make the jam.

Jam Making:

Remove fruit pulp from the fridge and add to your pot. Cover, put on the fire and bring to boil. When boiling, reduce heat to simmer for half an hour. DO NOT STIR!

In the meantime sterilize the jars and lids in a water bath. Also immerse ladle, funnel and jug in boiling water, then keep on a clean kitchen towel until needed.

When the half hour is up, remove the cover, add the citric acid, increase the heat and bring back to boil. Now you can stir. After about 5 - 10 minutes the fruit will come to a rolling boil which will remain when you stir. This indicates that gradually setting point is approaching. If you have a sugar thermometer stick it in the pot now. If not, wait another 10 minutes or so to test the set on a cold plate.

Take a small teaspoon full of the jam, place on the chilled plate and run a line through the middle. If the liquid runs together it requires more cooking, but if the line stays open the jam is ready for potting.

Using a thermometer is easier because once it indicates 105℃ setting point is reached.

To avoid spillage and waste use the ladle to fill the jug, place the funnel on top of a jam jar and pour, leaving at least 2 cm space. Wipe rims to make sure they are clean and seal immediately. 

You may want to further sterilize them in a water bath or you can turn them upside down for about 15-20 minutes to allow a vacuum to form. Using jars with pop button lids are a great advantage here. If no vacuum has formed the button will move and you will have to process the jars again or the jam will not keep.

But if successful your jam can easily be kept for up to a year, if it can last that long with all its yumminess!

Three jars of the best pineapple-ginger jam

I urge you to try it; you will not be disappointed!

Next time I shall give you a great recipe for the perfect bread to go with your jam!

Agbalumo Drink - Version 1

A couple of weeks ago my daughter sent me a picture of a glass of juice, unusual juice! Made from a fruit which is in season from November/December to March/April and usually just eaten as is. It is called agbalumo in Yoruba and udala (udara) in Igbo; in English it is White Star Apple, African Star Apple being a variation and finally the botanical name Chrysophyllum albidum. I had heard that this fruit is particularly good for diabetics (not me but my husband), but personally I don't like its texture and gummyness. But maybe a juice would be more palatable.

So last Sunday I went to a farmers market and saw beautiful ripe agbalumo and decided to buy some and try my hand at this juice.

Fresh Agbalumo

 

 The picture was on Kuluwaz Instagram page here , but no recipe. On to her blog next where there are fabulous recipes, but still no juice. You can find her blog here. So going back to the Instagram post I saw that the original recipe was obtained from kitchenbutterfly and used with some variations. So I headed over to that site, which is here, and found it immediately. Since I had more fruit than stated in the recipe I made my own adjustments.But first I had to find the recipe. 

 

Here is what I used:

14 ripe agbalumo, 2 l water, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 2 generous tsp ground ginger, 16 green cardamoms, seeds crushed in a small mortar and pods removed, 2 tsp vanilla extract.

How the drink is made:

Wash and cut up the fruit into smallish pieces, leaving the rather large seed in. Place in a rather large pot and add the water and remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat, open lid and allow to cool until warm. 

Line a colander with a draining cloth (cheesecloth or clean dishtowel) and place on a bowl or pot, large enough to take all the liquid.

The cooked fruit and spices draining

When most of the liquid has drained off take the ends of the cloth and twist together in a ball and squeeze out any remaining juice. Due to the nature of agbalumo the leftovers can be used like chewing gum, which children are very fond of!

Next decant the liquid into a suitable bottle and keep in the fridge until thoroughly chilled.

Ready to drink

Technically speaking it is not a juice because of the addition of water but a drink. A very tasty drink, sweet, sour and a little bitter. Truly enjoyable but because of the sugar not really suitable for diabetics.  

Happy New Year!

The festivities are over for a while and the few extra calories one indulged in here and there while preparing all the delicious things are now orbiting the waistline in the form of unwanted kilogrammes!

To get rid of the excess poundage I have resumed my daily walks supported by my tasty smoothies which I have for and as breakfast. If you, too, have gained a little excess weight over Christmas my smoothie recipe might be for you, together with any form of physical exercise you prefer!

Bananas ripening

Bananas are the foundation of the smoothies I enjoy. Together with two or three other types of fruit a couple of glasses keep me going till lunchtime.

Fruit suitable are banana, apple, pineapple, papaya, soursop and grapes. But it is important to remember that one should not use more than four different types because of the way they interact and affect the digestion.

The reason for my choice of fruit lies in the properties of each which are as follows:

Bananas - rich in potassium, good for heart health and controlling blood pressure
Apples - excellent for the digestion, rich in fibre, helpful in managing diabetes
Papayas - anti-cancer properties, also rich in fibre and good for the digestion
Pineapple - good for bones and eyes, anti-inflammatory
Soursop - rich in antioxidants, good for the eyes, anti-cancer, fights parasites.
Grapes - help to control blood pressure, are great for weight loss, eye health, blood sugar control,                       colon health, good for the heart.

These are just a few of the benefits of these fruits. To make my smoothies even more beneficial I also add a few spices which are anti-inflammatory and keep my joints from aches and pains. I also add some natural yoghurt or milk, depending on my fancy!


And now for the recipe:

Banana, apple and a slice of  papaya

1 banana
1 apple
1 slice of fresh papaya
1 heaped Tbsp natural yoghurt
about 1/2 cup of water
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground or fresh ginger
1/4 tsp ground or fresh turmeric
1/8 tsp ground black pepper


Cut fruit into chunks, removing seeds. Place in blender together with the other ingredients and whizz until smooth. If too thick add a little extra water. If you use milk instead of yoghurt use about one cup.

This should make approximately 600 ml or
2 cups of delectable smoothie.

Spices from top left; cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric
and freshly grated ginger

Rich and creamy - ready to be enjoyed

When you make your own version let me know how you liked it.

Next time a vegetable smoothie!

Gingerbread Cookies - Pfefferkuchen

Christmas is around the corner once again and so I want to share with you some recipes which after some tweaking here and there have become my favourites. Todays' recipe is meant for cookie cutters, stars, hearts etc. But if you have a gingerbread man cutter, all the better because the cookies are ideal for decorating with coloured icing. Or coating with melted baking chocolate or couverture. Both methods are great in temperate zones but here in the tropics any icing will just melt. Nevertheless the cookies are delicious!

First batch

And now for the recipe:
500 g wheat flour                                                          2 Tbsp water
1 tsp. baking powder                                                     1 medium egg
1 Tbsp bicarbonate of soda                                           2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
100 g sugar                                                                    2 Tbsp ground ginger
200 g golden syrup or molasses                                    1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract                                                       1/2 tsp ground green cardamoms
125 g soft butter                                                            1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt                                                                                     

Ready for the oven

Method:
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the spices. Then add the soft butter, syrup or
molasses, vanilla extract, water and egg. Mix with the dough hooks on your hand mixer, use a stand mixer or do it the old-fashioned way by hand. When dough is smooth wrap in clingfilm and chill for about an hour. Then cut dough into about 4 portions for easy handling.

Lightly flour your work surface and start rolling out the dough to about 1/2 cm thickness or slightly thicker. Place shapes on lined baking trays and bake at 190 degrees Celsius (375 F) in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Remove to cooling racks together with the baking paper and allow to cool. Initially the cookies will be quite soft but will get crisp by next day. Once they are completely cool, store them in airtight tin containers. I find that plastic containers are not as efficient in keeping cookies fresh.

On the cooling rack

If you wish to decorate your cookies, the next day will be best. This recipe yields about 90 cookies, depending on size and thickness.


I would love to hear from you if you decide to try these cookies!

Spicy!

After the last article I was asked what Lebkuchen spice is or rather what it is composed of. The professional bakers all have their own spice mix which is a well kept secret. Apart from that there are also regional differences, so the choice is not easy for the home baker. Ready-made spice mixes are now available but not in every part of the world. So I did some research and came up with my own version.

In order to get the best out of spices one should preferably buy whole spices instead of ground because they keep their flavour and aroma for a much longer time. Some spices like cinnamon and ginger are acceptable ground because generally they are used more frequently.

Another important factor is the ratio of each spice in relation to the others. Some spices are so strong in flavour that only a little is used in order not to overpower the rest.

Let me show you the spices I used:

From top to bottom on the left side:

ground cinnamon

ground ginger

whole cardamoms (only seeds are  used)

whole cloves

From top to bottom centre:

whole nutmeg

whole allspice (pimento)

who;e star anise

fennel seeds

From top to bottom on the right:

mace

ground coriander (I ran out of seeds)

ground pepper

Quantities for whole spices should at least be double of what is needed when ground. Remember to calculate well. I shall give you the amounts needed when ground to a fine powder.

cinnamon               2 Tbsp

ginger                     1/2 tsp

cardamoms

(seeds only)            1/2 tsp

cloves                      2 tsp

nutmeg                    1/4 tsp

allspice                    1/2 tsp

star anise                  1/2 tsp

fennel                       1/2 tsp

mace (blades)           a generous pinch

coriander                 1/2 tsp

pepper                      1/4 tsp.

The first five spices listed are essential to the mix, but adding the others will really enhance the complexity of flavours. But if you do not fancy a particular spice you can omit it or substitute for one with similar taste, e.g. fennel seeds for aniseed. 

To make up your batch of Lebkuchen spice put all the whole spices in a dry frying pan, after calculating and measuring,

 and fry on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Take off the heat and allow to cool. When cool place in spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind to a fine powder. If the quantity is too small to be processed properly add the already ground spices like cinnamon and ginger to help with the processing. 

I hope you enjoy making this, so you can create your own personalized Lebkuchen or Pfefferkuchen!