Jam isn’t just for toast and breakfast anymore! Besides being deliciously sweet, what exactly is it? Jam is a sweet spread consisting of pieces of fruit cooked with a large amount of sugar until it is thickened. Jams are typically made from the entire fruit, including the pulp. with the addition of, sugar, water, pectin, and lemon juice.
An assortment of fruit spreads, including marmalade, and jellies are a close cousin to jam which gives you a multitude of tasty choices. If you’re curious to try jam in new and exciting ways, here are seven different ways to enjoy a jar of jam.
7 Ways to Enjoy a Jar of Jam
1) Stuffed French Toast
Stuffed french toast is easier to make than it sounds. Put together a jam sandwich with white bread and your preferred fruit spread. Dredge the sandwich in your french toast egg mixture. Then, fry the toast as usual.
To further enhance your brunch game, you can also add any fruit spread to grilled cheese, crepes, ice cream topper, or a stack of pancakes.
2) Baked Brie
Cheese and fruit spreads have been an excellent combination and complement each other is a delicious way. Try brie with your favorite jam. It brings your brie cheest to an entirely new level. At dinner parties add a nice swaddle of jam next the cheese and watch your guests rave about the perfect jam and brie cheese combination.
3) Cocktails
A spoonful of jam can add an interesting element of flavor to your favorite frutty cocktails. Try making a whiskey sour more inviting by adding a touch of peach jam. A nice strawberry can make nice addition to a perfect strawberry daiquiri. As a quick rule of thumb frut jams work well with whisky drinks and berry jams work well with Vodka based cocktails. So, be your own mixologist and have some fun creating inovative cocktails using jam as the sweetner.
4) Yoghurt and Ice Cream
Many people like yoghurt for breakfast or for an afternoon snack. But did you know that jams pair very well with yoghurt? Upgrade your daily yoghurt with jam and you’ll tast the difference. Also, try adding your favorite jam to your ice cream making for a fruity swirl. Or, simple top your ice cream with a dollop of jam and you jabe a sinfully delicious treat.
5) Sauce for Meat Dishes
Jam and jelly can be an excellent thickening agent as well as a sweetener for sauces. We all know about mint jelly with lamb for example. But, there are many more combinations to try. Berry jams added to game sauces for duck, vennison, quail and buffalo can add a debth of flavor that complements this meat in a perfect way. Also, I personally like a red wine sauce wwith a smidgion of and grape or currant jelly to go with a grilled steak steak or sirloin.
6) Glaze
Jellies and jams can be a game-changer when you’re experimenting with glazes. Foods such as ham, lamb or eveen a rack of ribs for example would go nicely with a jam glaze. Certain cakes, cookies and croissants are also enhanced with the use of different jams. Combine your favorite jam with water and lemon juice to create a mouth-watering glaze to “jam drizzle” for desserts such as cheesecake or as an additional element of flavor in a fruit based pie.
7) Salad Dressing
Adding a little jam to a salad dressing will balance the acidity of the vinegar, creating a unique and tasty combination. An example would be to add a touch of raspberry jam to a raspberry vinagrette.
The Concclusion
As you can see utilizing jams in recipes is a simple but effective way to add sweetness, balance acidity and add a fun festive twist to many dishes. Now you can have some fun and test out the different ways to enjoy a jar of jam in your cooking.