Peach-Beet-Couscous Jam

Yes, that's right. I made jam with peaches, beets, and couscous (because, why not?). I made a goal to only go grocery shopping once this month, and I was seriously craving some jam last week. Because I'm really trying hard to make it to the end of the month, I had to get creative with whatever was in my cupboards. Thus, was born this peach-beet-couscous jam! I was pleasantly surprised that it actually tasted pretty good!

Next time I try it, I would leave out the sugar (and maybe the couscous?) and maybe only use half the can of beets. (And leave in the couscous? As you can tell, I'm undecided on the couscous.) Should you desire to try some the way I made it this time, either come over, OR try my made-up recipe below.

Ingredients

• 1 can of peaches (not the huge one. The regular-sized one. I know. I'm so technical.)
• 1 can of beets (same size)
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cooked couscous

Step 1. Dump the can of peaches + all of the syrup into a small pot. Add 3/4 of the can of beets and bring to a boil. (I only used 3/4, because I used the other 1/4 of the can for a different recipe.) Lower the heat, and simmer for, oh, a good while (Maybe 20-30 minutes? Again, super technical over here.), and stir frequently to prevent sticking.

Step 2. When it's good and boiled, start squishing the peaches and beets against the side of the pot using a wooden spoon. Taste-test for sweetness. (This was when I added the brown sugar.) Continue to simmer on low heat. Stir often to prevent sticking or burning.

Step 3. Let it simmer on low heat for... a while more. (30-45 minutes, at least.) Taste-test again. It was at this point that I regretted having added the sugar. To try to balance out the added sweetness, I looked for another ingredient I could add. I decided to try couscous.

The pink stuff is beet juice stains left from my spoon.

Step 4. Remove the pot from heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Then pour everything into a blender, and blend! Taste-test again and add more sugar/couscous as needed.

Step 5. Spread on a slice of homemade bread, and enjoy! Put the rest in a mason jar, and store in the refrigerator.

 PBJ. Mmmmm...

Step 6. Enjoy! :)