Hawthorn Berry Jam for Winter

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all your ingredients. It's best to use fresh hawthorn, or to pick it right before making the jam. Make sure the berries are clean, with no twigs or leaves. I use white sugar, but if you'd like a caramel note in the finished jam, you can use brown sugar. The cinnamon and vanilla can be ground, or you can use a vanilla pod and a cinnamon stick—the aroma will be amazing.

2. Step 2:

   

   A heavy-bottomed pot is best for making jam, so nothing scorches. Pour in the water, add the sugar, and heat over low heat until the sugar fully dissolves.

3. Step 3:

   

   Add the cinnamon and vanilla sugar to the syrup, bring it to a boil, and take it off the heat. You can use other spices and seasonings, too—ginger and nutmeg are very fitting here.

4. Step 4:

   

   Wash the hawthorn well and remove the stems and any leftover flower bits. We'll cook the jam with the seeds in—honestly, I can't even imagine how you'd remove them from these berries. But in winter it's fun to spit the seeds out anyway.

5. Step 5:

   

   Put the berries into the prepared syrup and let them stand for 12 hours. The time can range anywhere from 10 to 24 hours.

6. Step 6:

   

   Notice how the hawthorn berries have changed color—they've turned a sort of yellow-orange.

7. Step 7:

   

   Bring the jam to a boil and cook over the lowest heat for 30–35 minutes. You can test for doneness with a drop: put a drop of syrup on a saucer, and if it doesn't run off when you tip the saucer after a minute, the jam is ready.

8. Step 8:

   

   Scald the jars with boiling water or sterilize them in the microwave, and boil the lids. Ladle the jam into the jars and seal them tightly. This jam keeps fine in ordinary room conditions.

9. Step 9:

   

   Come winter, this treat will win everyone over—and it's very good for you, besides. Enjoy your tea!