Welcome to The Storied Recipe! I host a unique podcast where every guest gives me a recipe that’s significant to their culture, life, and memories. I make, photograph, and share the recipe with you. I invite you to listen to Carilyn's story as you learn how to make her Easy Soft Scones with Buttermilk - (and her quick mixed berry jam)!
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If you're looking for a dense scone that breaks cleanly in half, this isn't the recipe for you. BUT! If you're looking for a light, springy scone with a little fluff inside and a slighly sweet sprinkle of sugar on top - this IS the recipe for you!
This is also a recipe for a quick "pan jam" with a much lower added sugar than canned jams. The result is a perfectly spreadable jam just bursting with fresh berry flavor (even if you make it from frozen berries!)
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This Recipe in Carilyn's Words
I chose this recipe because foraging for berries, namely blackberries, reminds me of summer visits to my Grampa Ben's farm in MN. But in Kitsap County, this time of year we can find Salmon berries, Thimbleberries, Blackberries, Currants, and Strawberries on our one acre homestead.
My latest victory is that I successfully rooted a whole bunch of black currants from hardwood cuttings. Propagation is definitely one of my passions in horticulture.
The recipe is simple. But I mean really, baking biscuits is something I learned when I was a kid, so adding a bit more moisture and topping it with a quick jam seems simple to me.
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A Few Questions I Asked Carilyn About Her Scones & Jam
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What's the difference between a scone and a biscuit? (in American terms)
Not too much - although small differences in ingredients make a huge difference in texture! The dry ingredients are almost identical in most biscuit and scone recipes, although scones are a tad sweeter. Biscuits tend to include baking soda, while scones tend to rely on only baking powder. The bigger difference comes in the wet ingredients. Scones, which historically developed more in the North, rely on heavier ingredients like cream, eggs, and more butter. Biscuits, the pride of the South, rely more on acidity for lift. They omit the egg, replace cream with buttermilk, and often use less butter.
The differences can be more nuanced as well - true Southern biscuits would generally use a finer flour (like White Lily flour).
According to this definition, Carilyn's scones, which call for buttermilk and just ¼ teaspoon of baking soda, really straddle that line between biscuits and scones. Carilyn calls them a fluffy scone, which I think is just the right definition 😉
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Why do you call this a quick jam (or a "pan jam")?
This jam recipe has just 3 ingredients - berries, a relatively small amount of sugar, and lemon. It's made in a pan in just 30-45 minutes and, because of it's lower sugar content, it won't last on a shelf for long periods of time (unlike preserves or jellies, which will last longer). The thickening agent, pectin, is contained in the fruit itself, and no additional pectin is added. It holds its shape on a spoon, but is slighly looser than a jelly, for instance, which you can almost cut.
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How long will this quick jam last?
This quick jam (or "pan jam") will last up to a month, refrigerated. It's not preserved, so don't leave it on the shelf. And honestly, if you make it with these soft scones, it won't last anyway! 😉
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Can you make a quick jam with frozen berries?
Yes! Absolutely! The outcome is exactly the same.
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Do you have to strain the seeds out of a quick jam?
Nope, there's definitely no rule that you have to strain seeds out of this quick jam! Personally, I prefer to keep them in. I like the texture, I like feeling like I'm a little closer to the whole berry, and I like that any nutrient in any part of the berry is going straight into my body. Of course, there's no rule against straining seeds either - total personal preference on this one!
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Episodes Related to These Soft Scones with Buttermilk and Summer Berry Jam
Visit the episode post: A Nomad Puts Down Roots with Garden Coach Carilyn Mae
Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
How to Contact Carilyn Fukura (Check out her Garden Coaching!)
Website: www.kitsaproots.life/
Instagram: @mykitsaproots
YouTube: Kitsap Roots
Facebook: KitsapRoots
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