Elderberry - Apple Jam

How much I adore elder, both the flower and the berry! The smell of elderflower is so unique and look at those deep purple colour of the berries! Irresistible! I have already decided last autumn, that this year I am going to make some elderberry jam, no matter what! I decided to combine it with apple, not only because they go well together, but also because I had no agar-agar or pectin at home, so I had to do something in order to achieve the right consistency. I confess that I do not like fruit pieces in a jam, so usually I puree it. However as far as blueberries and elderberry is concerned, I just can't get enough of them! So therefore I cooked the apple in the cider and pureed it, and only after that I added the elder, sugar and lemon juice. The lemon juice is a must, because that is what gives the jam a zesty note.

Ingredients: 

for the jam:
350 g apple
150 ml apple cider

400 g elderberry

400 g sugar

juice of 1 lemon

for the pancake:
100 g flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

140 g kefir or yoghurt

1 tablespoon melted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the jam remove the core of the apple and dice with the peel on. Bring apple with the cider to the boil and cook until soft, then puree. If you do not want to waste time with this extra step, just cook everything together from the begining. I did it that way, because I wanted no apple chunks in the jam. So now it is time to add the elderberries to the apple pure among the sugar and the lemon juice and cook for 35-40 minutes. If you want a less runny consistency add about 5 grams of agar agar or pectin. Pour the hot jam into jars and let it cool covered under a bunch of blankets.

For the pancakes mix the ingredients together until smooth. Heat a frying pan and pour a ladle of the batter into the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface, then turn and cook for a further 1-2 minutes or until golden. The batter makes 3-6 pieces depending on its size. I usually do not add any sugar to the batter, because we eat it with loads of syrup, but feel free to add some.