Watermelon Jam

I made Watermelon Blackberry Jam today. Well, I should say that I made my first round of Watermelon Blackberry jam today.

And actually, I used marionberries.

It was delicious. I will try it again with a low-sugar pectin, and will probably drain off some of the watermelon liquid about halfway through. And I will add some lime zest. I added lime juice, but I want to retain the fresher taste of the zest. I also think I blended it too much; I prefer preserves with big ol' chunks of fruit in them.

I will share the recipe. I think I will make another batch tomorrow afternoon, and will edit the recipe as I perfect it. But if I don't share it now, I'll forget.

Makes about 1 cup of jam

Making time : Appr. 45 mins...or an hour...or 90 minutes. Who knows? I was reading Ender's Game and lost track of how long I was stirring. 

Watermelon - Appr. 2 lbs or 900 gms ( Without the rind and hard seeds)

Sugar - Around 3 Tbs--err on the generous side [maybe more]

Blackberries/marionberries-- a handful (or as much as you want)

Cinnamon - A couple of pinches

Cardamom --a little bit, couple shakes of the shaker, eh. 

Vanilla powder (Can substitute vanilla bean, paste, or extract) to taste

dash of Salt

[pectin]

Lime Juice from half of a fruit, OR few squirts of key lime juice 

[zest from lime]

Cut the watermelon flesh into small chunks. Mix spices with sugar. You can vary the sugar and spice quantity to your taste. Simmer the fruit, sugar mixture and lime juice. The fruit will start breaking down. There is no need to add water as the water from the watermelon is sufficient. Keep stirring constantly as the mixture thickens and use a ladle to mash the chunks. [drain some water] When the mixture has reached the consistency of a jam, take it off heat and use a hand blender or a regular blender to grind it to the desired consistency. Return to heat and simmer for about 5 more minutes. Let cool and refrigerate. The jam will stay fresh for about 10 days. I hope.

This stuff is addicting.

I need more watermelon.