Dried Fruit and Nut Jam
Description
Winter preserve made at home. I came across this wonderful dried-fruit and nut jam recipe entirely by chance, and since I adore various dishes with apricots, figs, prunes, and the like, this treat appealed to me right away. As it turned out, it is not that hard to make, and you can use absolutely any dried fruits and nuts; some spices can be omitted or swapped as well—for example, star anise is quite hard to find. Overall, this jam tastes delightful, and the aroma is even hard to put into words, so I recommend everyone try making dried-fruit and nut jam at home at least once—I am sure its flavor will pleasantly surprise you. 1) To start, we need to toast the nuts a little, so spread them on a dry baking sheet and put them in an oven preheated to 180°C for about 15 minutes, then remove the nuts and let them cool. 2) Using a grater, remove the zest from an orange and one lemon; squeeze the juice from all the citrus fruits. Rinse the dried fruits thoroughly and cut them into fairly large pieces. If the dried fruits are tough, soak them for a couple of hours before cooking. 3) Now take a saucepan, pour in water, lemon and orange juice, and add the zest, cinnamon, cardamom, and star anise. Place the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a boil. 4) Add the chopped dried fruits to this syrup, bring it back to a boil over medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, then turn the heat to high and cook the jam for another 8 minutes. 5) Then add the toasted nuts to the pan, mix everything, and continue cooking for 15 minutes. After that, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and leave the jam to cool completely. 6) While everything is cooling, wash the jars well, rinse them with boiling water, and dry them with a towel. Divide the cooled jam among the jars, seal them with lids, and store in a cool, dark place. As you can see, the recipe for dried-fruit and nut jam is quite simple—you will manage it easily and can enjoy this excellent treat for a long time. Store in a cool, dark place.