Tag: desserts

So happy to share with everyone my American Beauty Berry AKA “ Callicarpa “ jam recipe .

I’d like to start off with a little background of Callicarpa for anyone that is not familiar with this beautiful berry .

Contrary to popular belief, the brilliant berries are not toxic; they can be used to make a pretty, delectable, rose-colored spread that tastes like mild elderberry jelly, Dyring says. American Indians made beautyberry tea to treat illnesses ( Source )

Callicarpa is a genus of shrubs and small trees in the family Lamiaceae. They are native to east and southeast Asia, Australia, Madagascar, southeast North America and South America ( Source )

I live in central Florida and I found my batch of berries on one of my walks through a nearby trail and had no idea they were even edible or that making beauty berry jam was possible. And if you get stuck in the woods , you can also use it to repel against mosquitoes too ( Source )

So when I discovered that I could make jam , I also discovered I can make tea and wine ! I do plan on trying to make both of those too but let me share this recipe first .

I collected approximately 1 quart of these berries . This recipe also calls for 1 quart . They are very easy to harvest . I grabbed a bag and held it under each cluster and rubbed them loose . Don’t force the ones that stay on the plant because those are the ones that aren’t ripe yet . They sound like little candy pop rocks when they are picked , which I found interesting .

Now all I needed was sugar and Sure Jell Pectin to make my new favorite jam .

Ingredients :

• 1 quart of Beauty Berry
• 1 box of ( 1 packet ) Sure-Jell Pectin
• 3 cups of granulated sugar
• 6 cups of water
• 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon squeezed

Directions :

• Soak the berries in a fruit wash to remove dirt & bugs , I use FIT organic
• Drain by using a meshed strainer
• In a heavy saucepan, add the berries and cover them with 6 cups of water and boil , then simmer approximately 20 minutes , while cooking start mashing them with a potato masher until they are all crushed

• With a meshed strainer , use a cheese cloth and strain the berries into a container ( will make a little over 5 cups of juice ( save 2 cups for second batch )
• You should have 2 1/2 cups left , place that back into the saucepan
• Add 3 cups of sugar ( 2 cups of you want it less sweet ) which is what I’m going to try with second batch ( I don’t have a sweet tooth )
• Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 packet of Sure-Jell
• Bring to a boil and stir until thickened. About 15 mins or more, making sure to stir so that it does not burn on the bottom.
• Carefully scrap the foam off the top for a more prettier representation in the jar
• Carefully pour ( very hot ) into clean sterilized jars ( I used two 8 oz Mason Jars for first batch ) Let sit for 24 hours in the fridge or move to a canning bath container for a longer shelf life.
• Keep refrigerated and should last 3-4 weeks

Jelly is my jam

Hope you found this read/recipe informative and hope you have the opportunity to find yourself some beautiful , Beauty Berry to make your own .

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