Recipe - Alaska Mixed Berry Fruit Jellies

By Chef Kirsten Dixon, Within The Wild Adventure Company

Serve a small tray of these elegant treats on the porch in the summer with a tall glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.

2 pounds (8 cups) mixed berries (such as currants, blackberries, and raspberries)
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon liquid pectin
About ½ cup granulated sugar or confectioner's sugar for dusting

Pick over the berries, removing any stems or blemished berries. Puree the berries in a food processor. Place the berry puree into a medium, wide saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the fruit is soft. Strain the fruit through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean medium saucepan. There should be approximately 2 cups of puree. Add the granulated sugar and the pectin to the puree. Bring the puree to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Continue to stir until the mixture is thick, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Line a rectangular 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking dish with plastic wrap. Pour the fruit paste into the pan, smooth the surface, cover loosely and let stand overnight.

Remove the fruit paste from the pan onto a clean surface. Coat the paste with sugar. Cut the slab into 1-inch squares, or cut out into shapes with small cookie cutters. Dry the jellies on a wire rack for several hours before serving.

Makes about 42 (1-inch) squares.

About the Chef

Kirsten Dixon, Chef/Owner of Within The Wild Adventure Company came to Alaska to fulfill an obligation to the U.S. Public Health Service. Husband Carl attended school in Seattle, then took a job at the Native Health Care Hospital in Anchorage. Over time, the couple became increasingly dissatisfied with their jobs, and wanted to spend more time at home together.

Carl taught himself machinery and construction through books and experimentation, then built Riversong Lodge, a four-person cabin for guests, and a large one for his family. During the regular season, 20 to 25 guests stay each day in the 10 cabins that are now present.

Kirsten, now a world-class chef thanks to off-season studying and cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, offers cooking classes on a regular basis.

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