Spiced Turnip Jam

Simmered with lemon, sugar and warm spices, turnips cook down into an unexpected jam for toast or a cheese board. It's a fun use for fall turnips from the market.

Makes 3 small jars · 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 grams (1 pound 2 ounces) turnips
• 200 milliliters (7 fluid ounces) water
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 5 whole cloves, crushed
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 250 grams (9 ounces) sugar
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Peel the turnips and cut them into small pieces.
2. Put them in a heavy-bottomed pan with the water, lemon juice and zest, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla and salt.
3. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the turnips are tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Mash the turnips right in the pan with a potato masher.
5. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves.
6. Turn up the heat and boil hard until the jam reaches its setting point. To check, drop a little onto a chilled plate; it's ready when it wrinkles as you nudge it with a finger.
7. Spoon into 3 small clean jars, lay a waxed paper disc on the surface of each and screw on the lids. Store the jam in the refrigerator.

Adapted from Karon Grieve.