0.0 from 0 votes
French Date Jam Recipe
Make French date jam with just three ingredients! An easy recipe using traditional methods, perfect for beginner home jam makers.
Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Macerating Time
12 hrs
Total Time
13 hrs
Servings: 4 8 oz/230 ml jars
Calories: 815 kcal
Course:
Breakfast , Others
Cuisine:
French
Ingredients
- 4 cups dates (compressed cup)
- 2 lemon or large Lime
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Cut open your dates and take out the seeds. Discard the seeds. Slice each date into smaller chunks and weigh them.
- Cut open lemon or lime, squeeze and collect the juice. Keep the lemon halves, you will need them.
- Place sliced dates, lemon/lime juice, water, and sugar into a large jam cooking pan. Mix it all well.
- Leave to macerate (infuse) for about 12 hours or overnight so that the dates soften and infused with the lime and sugar.
- The next day, take the heat to your stove top and keep over a medium heat setting until you get to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat and keep over a lower heat setting to cook down the date jam. This takes about 20 minutes, and you will need to stir frequently so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the jam pan. The jam is done when it appears shiny and the fruits are cooked, sticky and thick.
- Take your pan from the heat and remove the lemon halves to discard them.
- Blend your jam with a hand blender to the desired consistency. It can be smooth or chunky, you get to decide.
- Do a final test to see if the jam is set with a thermometer or with an ice-cold plate. In general, date jam will turn out thicker, so you won't really have to worry that much about the setting of the jam (setting = shelf life). The thermometer setting temperature is 220 Fahrenheit/105 Celsius and for the ice-cold plate, drop some hot jam on it and the jam will cool instantly, revealing its true consistency. Move around the plate, if it doesn't run, it's set. You can do both tests or either one.
- Pack set jam into sterilized clean jam jars and fill up to the top. Close the jar with a lid and turn the hot jar upside down to create a vacuum in the jar (increases shelf life). Clean jars with you made a mess. The jars can be turned back upright once the jars are not that hot anymore.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- 800 grams or 4 cups compressed dates = 28.2 oz.
- Makes about 4×8oz/230 ml jam jars.
- Tip: In France, we pour a few drops of some liquor into the lid to kill remaining bacteria. This is optional, and you can use rum or vodka or distilled schnapps. The alcohol is then poured away, or you can drop it over your jam if you like.
Nutrition Information
Serving
230g
Calories
815kcal
(41%)
Carbohydrates
215g
(72%)
Protein
4g
(8%)
Fat
1g
(2%)
Saturated Fat
0.1g
(1%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
0.1g
Monounsaturated Fat
0.1g
Sodium
11mg
(0%)
Potassium
1041mg
(30%)
Fiber
13g
(52%)
Sugar
194g
(388%)
Vitamin A
27IU
(1%)
Vitamin C
29mg
(32%)
Calcium
76mg
(8%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 48 oz/230 ml jars
Amount Per Serving
Calories 815
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 230g | |
| Calories | 815kcal | 41% |
| Carbohydrates | 215g | 72% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.1g | 1% |
| Sodium | 11mg | 0% |
| Potassium | 1041mg | 22% |
| Fiber | 13g | 52% |
| Sugar | 194g | 388% |
| Vitamin A | 27IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 29mg | 32% |
| Calcium | 76mg | 8% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.