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Every morning, when you wake up, the idea of having a sweet and perfect beginning to the day must pop into your mind. Hoping that the day goes well and everything is hunky dory is an expectation that most people tend to have as the sun comes out every day. And for many, the start of a good day happens with the perfect, sweet and indulgent beginnings in the form of a classic breakfast of bread and jam.
To be fair, toasting a slice or three of bread until it is light-gold in colour and then slathering a generous amount of jam on top of it isn’t just a delicious breakfast idea, but also one that brings joy in the simplest, sweetest form every morning. Health experts will tell you that this is the best time of the day to be indulging in sugar because all the activity that follows during the day will help you break the sugar down quickly.
But leave that health aspect aside and just think about biting into a yummy, fruit jam on top of your toast and imagine what a beautiful beginning to the day it signifies. Of course, the best part is that jams can be made fresh with the best of seasonal fruits, which means it can also attune you better to the season and vibes—and this is especially true for winters, when many, many fruits and fruit jams made with them become even more easily available.
If you are looking for the perfect jam to put on top of your toast, here are some that you should try out.
Video Credit: YouTube/Hebbars Kitchen
1. Guava Jam
Winter is the time when guavas of many varieties come into season across India. Whether you make it with the pink-fleshed ones or the white or pale yellow ones, a guava jam is always an unbelievably sweet nectar. To make this one, you have to boil chopped up guavas with sugar and a dash of lemon juice until you have a thick concoction. Pass it through a sieve after cool, and enjoy through the season.
2. Orange Marmalade
Yes, winter is the season of fresh oranges and everybody knows it. And making a marmalade with oranges offers up a sweet, aromatic and slightly bitter marmalade that can add vibrance to your morning toast any day. Orange marmalade can be made by cooking orange slices or pulp along with orange peel julienne, sugar and water until you have a thick jam.
3. Fig Jam
In many parts of India, figs are available throughout the winter months in their freshest, juiciest forms—so this is exactly the moment when you should be reaching out for fig jam. Earthy, textural and mildly sweet, figs are the perfect fruits to make a jam that is balanced and delicious. All you need to do is boil chopped figs with sugar and water and cook it down until you have a thick, jammy consistency. Cool it down, bottle it up and enjoy it with your toast every morning.
4. Plum Jam
Across large parts of North India and other parts of the country like Maharashtra, plums are available at their sweetest during winters. With their sweet-tart flavour and unique aroma, plums make for some of the best jams in the world—not to mention a great addition to your Christmas theme breakfasts too! De-seed and chop up plums, then cook them down with sugar and water to make a deep red jam.
5. Strawberry Jam
Strawberries come into season during the winter months and become easily available across many parts of the nation, making this the time when strawberry jams for the rest of the year are whipped up. Making this one is quite easy too, as all you need to do is chop up strawberries and cook them with sugar and water until you have a thick jam ready to scoop up wih toast and relish.
6. Apple Cinnamon Jam
The combination of apples and cinnamon evoke Christmas and winter nostalgia for everyone, which is why this jam should definitely be on your table during this season. Take unpeeled apples, chop them up and cook with sugar, water and cinnamon powder. You can strain out the peels and mash the apples up to get a better jam consistency if you want.
7. Pomegranate Jam
One of the most underrated jams in the world, and yet among the most delicious ones, pomegranate jam is also one of the easiest to make. All you need to do is place pomegranate seeds in a blender, juice it, cook it with sugar and some pectin, get it to a thick consistency and then let it cool down until ready. Deep red and slightly sweet-tart in taste, this one is quite unique.
