Mixed Berry Fruit Cups Food

MIXED BERRY FRUIT CUPS

Steps:

• Wash and prep all of the fruit, and make sure all the berries are fairly dry.
• Stem and slice the strawberries.
• In a large bowl, mix together the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and red raspberries.
• Stir the lemon juice and sugar into the berries.
• Add the berry mix to small plastic cups and serve immediately. They're especially delicious topped off with a dollop of whipped cream.

EASIEST MIXED BERRY JAM

Steps:

• Chop the frozen fruit from each bag into pea-sized chunks (you can mash the thawed fruit with a potato masher if you prefer larger fruit chunks in your jam - I don't, I like jam that has a chunky texture, but spreads easily).
• In a large pot, combine fruit and sugar.
• Bring mixture quickly over high heat to the gelling point (it actually takes quite a while, in excess of ten minutes - and stir constantly, or fruit will stick to the bottom and burn).
• After fruit has reached the gelling point (thick enough to slide, as one 'flake', from a cold spoon), remove from heat.
• Ladle into sterilized jars, apply seals and rings, and process for 15 minutes, with whole jars submerged at least 1-2 inches under boiling water.
• That's it! Six bags, six cups. Chop, mix, boil to the gelling point, fill jars, process, DONE, all in less than an hour.
• NOTE: the Ball Blue Book calls for 9 cups of "berries" (i.e., blackberries, young berries, dew berries, etc.,) - six 12 oz. bags of mixed berries yields slightly less, but approximately that much.

MIXED BERRY JAM

Steps:

• In a large pan, combine berries with sugar.
• Crush berries with a potato masher.
• Add lemon juice and lemon rind.
• Bring to a boil, skimming off any foam that forms.
• Cook at a full boil until jam thickens, approximately 30 minutes (jelling point is 221F).
• While the berries are cooking, sterilize your jars and heat the seals in a pan of hot water.
• Pour jam into hot jars; wipe rims, place seals and screw on bands fingertip-tight.
• Process in a boiling water bath for five minutes; remove to a protected countertop and let cool, undisturbed for 24 hours.
• If any of the lids have not sealed, either re-process or store in the refrigerator and use those jars first.

MIXED BERRY FRUIT SHAKE

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in blender container.
• Cover and blend until smooth.
• Serve immediately garnished with fresh mint leaves and additional strawberries.