Berry Jam

I remember feeling quite triumphant when I made this jam recipe several years ago. I was new(er) to cooking at the time and thought it was incredible I could make my own jam in just 10 minutes.  Well, I had forgotten about this recipe until I recently made a batch of homemade English muffins and wanted some jam for them.  I felt just about as triumphant four years later as I used up a bag of frozen berries from our freezer and again, had jam in about 10 minutes.  Exactly what I had wanted for an English muffin!

I love this recipe because it doesn't use as much added sugar as other recipes I've seen, and you could certainly cut down on the sugar if you wanted to.  I think it really helps to highlight the fruit in the jam.  While this recipe calls for frozen berries and can be made all year long, I'm especially excited to try this spring and summer with fresh berries. Cherry is a personal favorite of mine but I really want to try strawberry as well. Also, feel free to substitute lemon zest instead of lime (which I think could be particularly good with strawberries or blueberries).

Berry Jam
Taken from: Everyday Food
Makes 3/4 cup (I halved this)

• 1 bag (12 ounces) frozen cherries or berries (I used Trader Joe's very cherry blend which has other fruits, too; I think this would be excellent with pretty much any kind of berries)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
• 4 tablespoons sugar (I used turbinado)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch

1. In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, zest, sugar, and 1/4 cup water. Cook over medium-high until mixture is thickened and large bubbles form, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water; stir into cherry mixture. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute; cool.