Sorrel...A Jam'in D Kitchen

Picture This!! Some FRESH Sorrel Jam spread across some HOT soft homemade bread or crackers while listening to some sweet local PARANG music with your family as you "take a break" from the traditional hanging of curtains on Christmas Eve.

Nothing says Christmas in the Caribbean like some fresh sorrel, bought organically from your local farmer, brewed in your kitchen and enjoyed by family and friends around your dining table.

Now you may be wondering, is it Christmas I just read, Yes Christmas! Given the way this year is going, what is time, lets mix it up a bit and take a virtual aromatic journey #stayhome #staysafe #socialdistancing #flattenthecurve to the Caribbean, to a small island in the West Indies called Trinidad and Tobago. This is where I am from and I am going to tell you all about this unique “flower” that has endless possibilities to spice up your day wherever you are in the world today!

“Nothing says Christmas in the Caribbean like some fresh sorrel, bought organically from your local farmer, brewed in your kitchen and enjoyed by family and friends around your dining table.”

Sorrel is a local crop grown in Trinidad and Tobago by many local farmers as well as individuals in the home garden. I do not personally own a plant ,as yet, so I purchase my sorrel from local roadside venders #supportlocal #farmtotable. It comes in a variety of colors and sizes. My personal preference are the large black flowers as they tend to give a richer flavor to the drink or jam. Sorrel is rich in Vitamin C which can help boost your immune system which is very important in these current times #stayhealthy.

My process of making any product usually requires a lot of research. In watching many videos and reading many articles I am able get an idea as to the different ways the product can be created, giving me a greater understanding of the product. I then take a little advice from everyone and create my own recipe and method. This really makes a huge difference to the final product.

Sorrel Jam was initially an experiment gone great. I was preparing to launch my new business at a Christmas Village for local entrepreneurs in 2019 “Palmlife Patisserie” (follow me on IG @palmlifepatisserie) and through my research came across this gem that fit perfectly with the theme of the Village “Sharing Traditions” #supportlocal. It was not my personal tradition, as yet, but what a perfect way to start one! I received amazing feedback from the awesome people I met and as well as my family and friends. Sorrel Jam eventually became my main product.

In creating this Jam, I decided to take the infamous recipe of the local Trinidadian Sorrel Drink and add a couple twists to it in order to maintain the authentic organic sorrel taste that we all know and love. The twist involves the seeds of the sorrel. After cleaning the sorrel, I kept the seeds back and boiled them. The smell is heavenly by the way. This allowed me to create a natural pectin, which is used to thicken the drink, making it jelly, turning the drink to jam. The alternative would be to add gelatin. However keeping the product as organic as possible is very important to me. Why add something artificial when you could use something natural! #organic

Another twist to the method is to keep the flowers as part of the jelly. In creating the juice, you would usually strain and separate the juice and the flowers to make it smooth. Why would you want a pieces of sorrel flowers in your drink ..right ? However, this differs for the Jam. By keeping the flowers, it thickens and adds to the richness to the flavor while amplifying your palate.

I was also able minimize the waste in the creation of this product #gogreen. I maximized the use of the fruit through fully utilizing the flowers and the seeds. The packaging the product was glass bottles which can be reused for multiple purposes thereafter # keepitgreen

A recipe tells you how it should be done, but when you understand the science behind it, you can add your own personality to it!

Now… that is the POSITIVITEA!