Strawberry Date Jam

Making your own raw jam is easy peasy!  This recipe is wonderful to spread on; raw crackers, breads, spread in between cake layers or on brownies.  This would also be wonderful spread on the banana crepes!  I can’t express enough to make sure that you purchase only organic strawberries.  They are one of the top rated fruits on the “Dirty Dozen” list, meaning that they are high in pesticides when you don’t purchase organic.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mejool dates, pitted and soaked
• 2 cups strawberries, organic with greens removed

Preparation:

1. In your food processor or blender combine the two ingredients and blend till nice and creamy.  Or you can stop it sooner if you want a more chunky style.
2. Store in glass containers in the fridge for 1-2 weeks

Equipment Needed: (my personal recommendations)

• Food processor or Blender

How to Select and Store

• As strawberries are very perishable, they should only be purchased a few days prior to use. Choose berries that are firm, plump, free of mold, and which have a shiny, deep red color and attached green caps. Since strawberries, once picked, do not ripen further, avoid those that are dull in color or have green or yellow patches since they are likely to be sour and of inferior quality. Medium-sized strawberries are often more flavorful than those that are excessively large. If you are buying strawberries prepackaged in a container, make sure that they are not packed too tightly (which may cause them to become crushed and damaged) and that the container has no signs of stains or moisture, indication of possible spoilage. Strawberries are usually available year round, although in greatest abundance from the spring through the mid-summer.
• Like all berries, strawberries are very perishable, so great care should be taken in their handling and storage. Before storing in the refrigerator, remove any strawberries that are molded or damaged so that they will not contaminate others. Replace unwashed and unhulled berries in their original container or spread them out on a plate covered with a paper towel, then cover with plastic wrap. Strawberries will keep fresh in the refrigerator for one or two days. Make sure not to leave strawberries at room temperature or exposed to sunlight for too long, as this will cause them to spoil.
• To freeze strawberries, first gently wash them and pat them dry. You can either remove the cap and stem or leave them intact, depending upon what you will do with them once they are thawed. Arrange them in a single layer on a flat pan or cookie sheet and place them in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer the berries to a heavy plastic bag and return them to the freezer where they will keep for up to one year. Adding a bit of lemon juice to the berries will help to preserve their color. While strawberries can be frozen whole, cut or crushed, they will retain a higher level of their vitamin C content if left whole.

Posted on Sunday, April 17th, 2011 at 9:24 am. Filed under: Spreads Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan RSS 2.0 feed.