Date Jam

By Aaron Judson

Difficulty: ★☆☆☆☆

Time: 30 minutes

If there were a fruit equivalent of toffee, I reckon it would be dates.

Ingredients

• 400 g bag of dates
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp butter
• Grated rind and juice of 1 tiny lemon, or ½ tsp citric acid if impatient

Guidelines

In a pot that can hold 1 L or more, gently bring dates in water to boil, and then simmer for about 5–7 minutes until there is a brown sludge forming.

Add all other ingredients, stir them in until the mixture is a thick mash.

Store in glass jars, but heat them first, or they may shatter by heat shock. Don't use plastic jars since they will absorb and become date-flavoured jars, maybe.

Serve, then brush teeth before bed!