Seasonal foods give us the exact nutrients we need at the exact right time. In Spring, bitter greens & digestion boosting herbs help us naturally cleanse & detoxify when it is most needed; Summer veg & berries are high in skin-protecting antioxidants.
Now we’re moving into Late Summer, which Traditional Chinese Medicine considers a season all of its own. Governed by the earth element & a time when we are advised to care for the stomach + spleen pairing of organs, it’s the season to find balance, come back to your roots and re-centre before cooler, darker Autumn & Winter.
Stone fruits are in season in Late Summer, & they hold big benefits according to eastern & western health systems. Apricots have been used for thousands of years to lower high blood pressure, reduce excessive thirst & reduce asthma symptoms. They’re great for the respiratory system- important before we move into Autumn.
Plums help rid the body of excess heat, improve digestion, regulate blood sugar levels, reduce stress & fatigue & enhance immune health. They’ve also been used as a healing and balancing food for thousands of years & are high in antioxidants.
Use plums, apricots, damsons, cherries or nectarines (many of these you can also forage now too!) & give this jam recipe to a try:
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 1 jam jar sized amount)
- 4 apricots
- 2 handfuls wild plums (also known as American plums)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Roughly 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp agar agar powder
METHOD
- Add fruits & water to a pan
- Heat & simmer for 10 mins
- Use a potato masher or rolling pin to mash the fruits. Add lemon juice & stir.
- Add the agar agar and stir well to evenly distribute.
- Continue to heat for 2 more minutes, then remove from the heat
- If you want to sweeten it a little more, add honey or maple syrup when it has cooled enough to touch and stir through.
- Leave to cool, then store in the fridge & consume within 2 weeks
Use this with sourdough, crackers & cheese 🧀, on top of yoghurt or porridge, or with my Nourishing Banana bread. Enjoy!
Which late summer seasonal fruits are you enjoying right now?
Leave a Reply