Alexander has been picking up a raspberry storm for 3 weeks now. Every day he goes out and picks raspberries from the wild raspberry bush in my Mom’s back yard.

One afternoon with Grandma he made his first batch of raspberry jam. Without any input from me as I was out of the house, he told Grandma exactly what to put in his jam and to help him cook it. Instinctively he added lemon juice. I am so proud. Lemon juice not only adds some flavor, but the acidity in lemon juice helps the natural pectin in the fruit to set giving the jam a thick consistency. He also added sugar, grapes, mint and blackberries.

The results were delicious and enjoyed on toast the next morning. Ever critical from all of our recipe experimenting, Alexander decided that the skin from the grapes did not cook down enough and created an unpleasant texture to his jam. He decided to remove them from the next batch.

Refrigerator jam is quick and easy as there is no long complicated jarring process. Refrigerator jam keeps in the refrigerator in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks. It can be frozen as well for up to 2 months.

Enjoy!

Avec Amour, Victoria & Alexander

Alexander’s Raspberry Mint

Refrigerator Jam

Yield – 3/4 Cup Jam

2 Cups Raspberries

3 Blackberries (optional)

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

5 Large Mint Leaves

1. Prepare the raspberries by rising under cold water. Divide raspberries in half. Place half in a bowl along with the 3 blackberries and with the back of a spoon squash them down to release their juices.

2. In a saucepan combine all the raspberries, blackberries, sugar, mint and lemon juice, bring it to a boil over medium heat.

3. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until the juices thicken. It will thicken as the jam cools.

4. Cool completely then store in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When freezing, be sure to leave enough room at the top of the container to allow the jam to expand when frozen.