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It wasn't until last year that I found out that my Kousa Dogwood tree's berries were edible. Of course, by then it was too late to harvest them, but this year I was prepared.
All I needed was some patience to wait until the fruit turned red. My tree was loaded down with the weight of the berries ripening on the tree. I literally stood underneath and was able to pick enough for a batch of jam.
Spicy Kousa Dogwood Berry Jam
4 cups of ripe fruit, packed 1 1/2 cups of water 6 cups of sugar 1 package of Pectin 1 tsp. of vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. cloves 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1- Combine the fruit and water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. The berries will turn to a golden yellow color. I boiled them until they became soft enough to mash a little.
2- Add the pectin to the fruit and stir in, then add the sugar stirring until dissolved.
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3- Add the rest of the spices and vanilla and bring it back to a hard boil for 2 minutes. Skim off any foam if needed before straining the mixture through a sieve.
4- Once you have strained all the berry mixture, fill your jars leaving a 1/4" headspace and process for 15 minutes in a water bath canner.
Note: I ran out of regular sugar and had to use 1 cup of coconut sugar to make up the difference. The mixture is very dark in color due to that and tastes like apple pie to me. ;-)
In the above photo, I made another batch with all white sugar, and the color was much lighter. I could taste a bit of fruitiness in the second batch whereas not in the first round. It is a very sweet jam, and I may just use it on chicken and pork for a glaze.
Have you ever made jam or a sauce with your Kousa Dogwood Berries? My tree is still heavy laden with ripe fruit, but I now have 8 jars for the pantry shelf to add to the different jams and syrups. My hubby is overjoyed with all the varieties I've made this year.
Thanks for visiting and have a wonderful week everyone!
