RASPBERRY VIOLET JAM

Raspberry Violet Jam

Prep time: 5 mins   Cook time: 10 mins   Total time: 15 mins

Serves: Makes a bit less than 1 pint

I should mention that if you don't have violet syrup, this is a wonderful straight up raspberry jam, too, so you can proceed with the recipes sans the syrup.

Ingredients

320 grams red raspberries

320 grams granulated natural cane sugar

Peelings from 1 granny smith apple

2-inch piece of lemon rind (with the white pith intact)

1 tablespoon Violet Syrup

Instructions

• At least 2 hours before setting out to make the jam, place a small dish in the freezer.
• Add the raspberries, sugar, apple peels, lemon, and violet syrup to a deep pot. Give everything a good stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a rolling boil, over high heat. Use a spoon to skim the foam from the top. Don’t skip this step, or you’ll end up with a cloudy jam. After a few minutes, the foam will mostly subside.
• Reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer (with bubbles constantly popping to the surface). Let the jam continue to cook until thickened enough to generously coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes. At this point, you can start testing your jam for doneness. Remove the dish from the freezer, and drizzle a small amount on the plate. Tilt the plate sideways, and if it holds in place without being too runny, then it’s ready. The consistency will still be thin. Don’t worry it will thicken, and set up further as it cools.
• Remove, and discard, the apple peels and lemon from the pot.
• Spoon the hot jam into 1 pint jar, or 2 half-pint jars. Process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes, if storing long term, or skip processing, and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Homemade Violet Syrup

3 cups violets (39 grams), stems removed (it’s okay if the little green bulbs are still attached)

1 cup boiling water

2 cups (200 grams) superfine sugar

Few drops of fresh squeezed lemon juice

Add the violets to a heat-proof, glass jar. Pour the boiling water on top. Give the jar a few swirls to make sure the violets are submerged completely in the water. Screw the lid onto the jar, and let the tea steep for at least 24 hours, as if you were making tea (I let this batch steep for 48 hours). You can store the violet tea at room temperature, or in the fridge, once cooled, if you prefer.

To make the syrup, place a fine strainer over a small-medium sized pot. Pour the infusion through the strainer, using a rubber spatula to press all of the water from the violets. Discard the flower solids.

Add the sugar to the pot, and stir well to blend. Place the pot over a medium-low flame. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, but without the syrup coming to a rolling boil. It should take 3 to 4 minutes.

The syrup will turn a muddled greyish blue color. Don’t worry—this is normal. To return it to a vibrant violet color (more purple than deep blue it was in the tea phase), squeeze a few drops of fresh lemon juice into the syrup. Pour the syrup into heat-proof, glass jars, and let cool completely before sealing closed with a lid. The cooled syrup can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 year (although I tend to use mine up before then!).