In This Edition: Correction About The Dirty Dozen
Blueberry Jam Blueberry Squares!
Correction About The Dirty Dozen! |
While the majority of my followers are in the U.S.... I am in Montreal, and I do, of course, have many friends and followers who are readers from this area.
I was really happy that Roxane wrote telling me about a recent news story, how Quebec strawberries are actually not high in pesticides!
Many pesticides used in California are banned here, and the farmers use "natural predators" I assume other insects, to control the insects that eat the strawberries. So that's good news for those of you living in this area.
Also, most of our tomatoes in Quebec are grown in hot houses without any pesticides at all. Good to know!
|
So fortunate to get fresh wild local blueberries, Yum!
|
|
I got this Enormous basket of blueberries at Jean Talon market! Can you say antioxidants? :)
I had promised you a low sugar jam recipe, however, I made such a large amount, I just poured alot of blueberries into the pot and I didn't bother to measure the ingredients...sorry!
The amount of
sugar in most jams is similar to the ones my mom used to make, calling for 3 cups of white sugar for 4 cups of fruit. Not what I want to eat!
Of course, how much sugar you use depends on how sweet you like your jam. Strawberries are sweeter so you can use less sugar. And you can taste test as you cook the berries, and add more, which is what I did.
|
Blueberry Jam Recipe (approximate amounts) |
10 cups blueberries 3/4 cup raw cane sugar (more or less depending on your taste) 1/3 to 1/2 cup Agar Agar
Agar agar is a powder like sea vegetable that thickens like natural geletin. It is tasteless and odorless. You can find it at the health food
store.
Bring the blueberries to a slow boil on low heat stirring often. Add in the sugar and Agar Agar and cook for about 5 - 10 minutes.
Meanwhile boil new Mason jars and lids for about 10 minutes in a big pot. Remove from the pot with tongs. Fill hot jars with the jam, wipe the edges if you spill any and seal. The lids should pop down after a
while.
In regular jams, the high sugar content acts as a natural preservative, so with less sugar, best to keep extra in the fridge or freezer if you make a lot.
Enjoy, let me know how it goes!
|
|
|
|
This recipe is delicious, and not in my cookbook. You can also use raspberries or strawberries. I doubled the fruit that the original recipe called for and
found it much better. It is healthy, using maple-syrup, but if you're trying to lose weight don't eat too much of it. :)
4 cups fresh blueberries 1/2 cup maple syrup 2 Tbsps Arrowroot or cornstarch 2 Tbsps water 1 tsp Agar agar (optional, but
will help the berries jell) 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 cups kamut flour 1 cup rolled oats 1 1/2 tsps cinnamon 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 cup first pressed cold
organic canola oil 1/2 cup maple syrup
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. In a small pot over medium heat bring the blueberries to a low boil. Dissolve the arrowroot in the water in a separate cup and stir into the berries along with the Agar agar. Simmer for 1 minute until clear and thickened. Mix in the vanilla. Set aside to cool.
Butter an 8 x 8 baking dish (a glass one looks nice)
3. In a bowl, combine the next 5 dry ingredients. Mix in the oil and maple syrup until moist and sticky, but still somewhat crumbly. Press half of the flour nut mixture in the bottom of the dish. Pour and scrape the berry mixture on top. Sprinkle and spread the remaining flour nut mixture evenly over the filling.
4. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool briefly before slicing and serving.
|
To your natural health! Sue-Anne
If you like this e-zine, feel free to forward it to a friend.
If a friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read, please
subscribe by visiting here. |
|
|
