I HAVE A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH HOMEMADE JAM, JELLY, ACHAR!
My readers know the few Western dishes our mother did regular with seasonal fruits were jelly and jam! After a "kalbaishakhir jhor" in the month of April; within a week; two to three varieties of raw mango pickle were made. Raw mangoes were sold at cheap rate post a storm. Our mother would look for opportunities; middle-class homes did the same! In the present day, I do that! I see what discounts the Marigold, Amul Gold, Cowhead, Dutch Lady are offering, then buy! I remember someone laughed at my misery, thereafter I stopped going out with people for shopping! I stayed in a city called Kolkata, showing off is no where there in my dictionary, I do not hide my tendencies. I have seen people from smaller towns step into a city with a lot of complex, comprehensions! Unless they are confident and intelligent selves; they would tend to show off, become an extravagant to get into the league, to get noticed. I think I am a born lethargic; the lazy self is like,"Oh! My couch! Glorious couch; hug me tight!" No doubt, I come from a family where the mother after all the work, shower & lunch; sat with the organic jam, jelly, pickle making sessions!
I MUST GO WITH AN EASY RECIPE SHARE TODAY!
It is the X-mas bells ringing near is true; that I am tired after doing a delivery of food is also true! Then, I would not let go sharing a recipe in the blog, I like it! I enjoyed cooking a varied Bengali platter today! Because it is my hobby, I did not feel tired while cooking; only that I had the tension to finish in time! I was however delayed by half n hour! After having the lunch, I feel sleepy! Since yesterday, I had been arranging for today's delivery; if tensed I eat more! Look at what I ate yesterday, what I served at the man's plate, my GOD Family's plates!
I thought the man's plate would be less, so bought an extra onigiri which he refused as excess. My lunch was almost spoilt given it was a tuna mayo onigiri whose smell I could not tolerate! 2:50$ was wasted! At night, I chose to prepare a humble "paratha-aloo" meal for both of us! Those mini pineapples come from Thailand! The father gets only chocolates & flowers unless its a special day! Before leaving for the airport on January 2017, I clicked him in our flat, did not know within four months he would leave us! Absolutely no one can take his place, it should be true for everyone around! I wish I talked to him a little more, cooked for him often, get him here one more time and take to the places I could not on his first trip!
WHAT IS APPLE GRAPE JAM?
Following the mother, I prepare jam, spread in our home; used to frequently when the son was more in and around the home! I love jam and butter together on the toast, not allowed to given it's sugar content! Then what to do with the excess of the fruits post a special prayer at home? I make jam with different combinations of fruits. Wish I could completely skip using the sugar, I could not take my tastebuds to that level as yet. It is Xmas around; moreover looking at the enthusiasm of my brother & son around the Formula1 races, I felt lets get this vegan, gluten-free, organic condiment; APPLE GRAPE JAM to the blog today! I think its for his nephew, my brother is talking less about cricket these days! It was fun to hear from him how the very reticent nephew shared with him the way he cheered for Max & drank cans of RedBull, got sore throat; mumma cannot even ask why he drank that much of chilled drink on a wintry night! I better wait for the respective meets! It was jam-luchi rolls at first in baby's lunch boxes; it was jam on cream-crackers sitting with bhai, it was jam & butter both on bread with T at the Toshali Sands! That was less of a Honeymoon and more about learning new things I did not require to until age 26! Could I learn to be at par with the world at 51? Not really! Anyway, if you are into vegetarian food, keep some homemade jam on your table! See, I have learnt a bit so I can make some suggestions about food!
Few other Condiment Recipes from the Blog :
INGREDIENTS :
APPLE : 3-4
GRAPE : 500 GM
SUGAR : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP SIZE
LEMON JUICE : 1/4 SMALL TEA CUP SIZE
CINNAMON STICK : 1 OR 2
PROCEDURE :
The first thing to do is to wash, peel and slice small the apples. Then we are to wash the grapes & half them.
We would take the apple slices in a deep bottomed pot half filled with water and put for boil!
After the apple slices have softened, say after 20 minutes of boiling; we would add the grapes & the cinnamon sticks!
After another 10-12 minutes of boiling, we would add the sugar and keep boiling at medium to low heat further!
Our job is to stir & adjust the heat at frequent intervals.
When both the fruits look softened & have melted 70%, we would add the lemon juice and give a stir!
We would keep boiling & stirring until it reaches a sticky consistency! That takes time!
Once cool, we will transfer it to a dry, sterilised bottle! You can choose to keep or throw off the cinnamon!
Nowadays, sugar free jams are so popular here! Many friends use apple juice instead of the sugar when they make jams (such as apricot, damson, peach, strawberry, sourcherry etc.). I will try it in next summer. In this recipe, sugar was used but i would like to make this jam with no sugar. Your recipe looks very healthy and tasty.
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