Goji berry jam

The fact that the Dukan diet forbids the consumption of fruit never really bothered me all that much (although I’ll admit to my mango cravings, or the fact that I was miserable over not being able to a few figs straight from the tree that grows in my summer home garden).

I’m not really a fruit person, I’m more of a chocolate girl when it comes to dessert, but I do wish I could get the vitamins from something other than the few goji berries a day we’re allowed to eat… and there’s so many variations of chocolate desserts you can try on the Dukan before you start to crave something different.

Which brings me to this little recipe, which turned out way better than I expected it to – and it’s incredibly quick and easy to make. It’s a perfectly good alternative to regular, sugar-loaded jam, so you don’t have to be on the Dukan diet to appreciate it, or any diet, really!

This is what you’ll need:

Place your berries in a non-stick pan (I’m using a frying pan for this) over medium-low heat and add enough water to cover the berries.

Next, add the  lemon juice and sweetener and give everything a stir. 

The lemon juice will cause some discoloration, but don’t let that bother you. Let the berries simmer away gently for a few minutes, until they start to absorb the water and become nice and plump.

Add a couple more tablespoons of water if needed. Take the pan off the heat and add the jello crystals. This will not only add flavor and sweetness but a splash of color too. Strawberry compliments the berries wonderfully, but feel free to add any flavor of jello you prefer.

And that’s it – the jam is done! Pour it into a jar and keep it in the fridge.

It will be stiffer than regular jam because of the added jello, but mixing it around with a spoon will make it easily spreadable. Smother it on Dukan toast, spoon it over cakes and meringues, or just eat it straight from the jar!

Added bonus: plumper goji berries means that 1 tablespoon of berries = 2 tablespoons of jam 😉