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Dulce de calafate
Calafate berry jam
Dulce de calafate: deep purple jam of the wild Patagonian calafate berry, for bread or cheese
Legend says whoever eats calafate will come back to Patagonia, and in El Calafate, the town on Lake Argentino named after the thorny bush, the small blue-black berries turn up in ice cream, sauces, and above all this jam. The fruit ripens in midsummer across Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego; it is tart and seedy, somewhere between a blueberry and a blackcurrant, and the jam is dark purple, glossy and gently spiced by the fruit itself. It goes on bread at breakfast, with a slab of cheese after dinner, or with pancakes. Outside Patagonia, frozen calafate is hard to find; blueberries with a handful of blackcurrants or barberries give a similar balance of sweet and sharp. Overcooking is the slip that turns it into a stiff, dull paste, because the berries are naturally high in pectin, so test early. Chef's tip: crush a third of the berries before cooking; you get a jam with body and some whole fruit to bite on.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb calafate berriesfresh or frozen; or 750 g blueberries plus 250 g blackcurrants
- 1 ⅜ lb sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup water
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put a saucer in the freezer. Pick over 2 ¼ lb calafate berries, rinse them and tip into a wide, heavy pan. Crush about a third with a potato masher.
Step 2: Add 1 ⅜ lb sugar, 3 tbsp lemon juice and ½ cup water and stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves completely.
Step 3: Bring to a steady boil and cook, stirring often and skimming off any foam, until the jam thickens and the bubbles become slow and glossy.
25 minStep 4: Spoon a little onto the cold saucer, wait a minute and push it with a finger: it should wrinkle. If not, boil for 3 minutes more and test again.
Step 5: Ladle into hot sterilised jars, seal and turn upside down for 5 minutes. Keep in a cool, dark place and refrigerate once opened.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- Protein
- 0 g
- Carbs
- 23 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does dulce de calafate take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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