Strawberry-Lime Quick Jam and Quinoa Raisin Muffins

One of these days, I’m going to make jam the traditional way — in a large batch, with a packet of pectin on hand, along with a collection of sterilized jars ready to be filled with delicious homemade preserves. But, in the meantime, I’ve been using a quick and easy method that has worked like a charm every time. Although, this not the kind of jam that you preserve and keep for later use, it is really tasty and easy to make.

When the strawberries at the market are bright red and super sweet, I can’t help but leave with a bag full of them. Aside from enjoying them in their natural state, which is my favorite, it’s always fun to come up with different ways to bake and cook with them. Not wanting my baskets of strawberries to go to waste, I decided to make a jar of strawberry-lime jam.

It had been awhile since I made jam, and I thought it would be nice to have a jar of the homemade variety on hand, to go along with some quinoa raisin muffins I made earlier in the day. With a some berries, fresh lime juice, zest, and sugar, I had a jar of sweet and tangy jam in about 30 minutes.

The recipe says to cook the berries for 9-10 minutes, however, I’ve always had to cook my fruit for about 30 minutes in order to thicken it. It’s not as gelatinous as a jam made with pectin, so I did add a tablespoon of arrowroot to bring it to my desired consistency. If you use the arrowroot, add it towards the end as it can cause whatever you are cooking to revert to a thin consistency if overcooked.

Strawberry-Lime Quick Jam

Adapted from here.

1 quart hulled strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
zest of 2 limes
1 tbsp arrowroot

In a food processor, process strawberries until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large skillet and stir in sugar, lime juice, and zest. Cook over medium-high, stirring frequently, until jam is thickened and bubbles completely cover surface, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer jam to a jar and let cool to room temperature. (To store, seal jar and refrigerate, up to 10 days).

Quinoa Raisin Muffins

This is a wheat-free version inspired by this recipe.

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup grapseed oil
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup teff flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, brush a standard 12-cup muffin pan with oil; dust with flour removing excess. In a medium bowl, combine and whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, raisins, and 2 cups cooked quinoa.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, milk, egg, and vanilla. Add this wet mixture to flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Divide batter into muffin cups.

Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool muffins in pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 3-5 days.

Tagged as: almond flour, Breakfast, brown rice flour, easy jam, fruit, Gluten-Free, golden raisins, healthy muffins, homemade quick jam, jam, lime, preserves, quinoa muffins, strawberries, teff flour, wheat-free