Abra Berens

Jam

Appears in
Pulp: A Practical Guide to Cooking with Fruit
Pulp

By Abra Berens

Published 2023

  • About
Jam ratio: 60:40 fruit to sugar. Because mulberries tend to lack acidity, I generally add a splash of red wine or sherry vinegar to the jam at the end of cooking. I don’t love the seeds of drupelet berries in jam, and so I often strain at least half out after cooking. I also often make the jam with frozen berries; just give a thaw and carry on.
  • These jams tend to be brilliant in color and so I often spoon them over stark white items for contrast—cheese, meringue, ice cream, etc.
  • Blend 50:50 jam and mustard for a vibrantly colored fruit mustard to go with charcuterie or on any old sandwich.
  • I also like to blend drupelet berry jam with hot sauce or vinegar to make sweet and savory sauces, which are often good with poultry, fish, or the sweeter root vegetables.