Simple, Fresh Berry Jam

I was helping the kitchen at a summer music camp recently and we had two flats of delicious raspberries that tasted wonderful, but were a little blemished with sun spots. It inspired me to slightly process them so that they looked more beautiful while re- maining fresh in their taste. I ended up creating this recipe and people were amazed at how delicious, yet simple it was. This is a great way to preserve any fruits that do not have too much juice in them. We enjoyed it over homemade ice cream and brownies!

4 baskets raspberries (or any other bush berries, pears or apples; strawberries will not work as they are too juicy)
2 tablespoons honey (you can use a sweetener of your choice or simply leave it out altogether)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh is best and any variety)

Prepare your berries as needed. Wash them if you need to, just dry them well. The goal of this recipe is to make fresh-tast- ing compote that will extend the life of fresh berries and make a delightful treat. Berries that are not that juicy will be best be- cause we are lightly cooking down this recipe and we are not adding sugar, which is needed to make fruit juice gel.

Now put your berries in a pot with the lemon juice and the honey. I like to just lightly heat my fruit to about 100° F so that it stays fresh yet loosens enough to become saucy and meld to- gether. If your fruit does not have very much juice, you will not need to cook it any longer.

The finished product can be used over ice cream or brown- ies, in yogurt and smoothies or on top of pancakes. There is no need to hot water bath or pressure can this jam as it is meant to be eaten fresh and will keep in the fridge up to two weeks. Enjoy this simple pleasure of life!