Blueberry Ginger Dessert Topping

Course: Sweets

Cuisine: North American

Keyword: blueberry, dessert sauce, ginger

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings:

Calories: 164kcal

Author: Marta Rivera

A quick-to-assemble multi-use fruit topping.

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (375ml) cold water separated
1/4 cup (30g) cornstarch
1 1/2 pound (750g) blueberries separated
3 inch piece fresh ginger root sliced (no need to peel)
pinch kosher salt
3/4 cups (150g) granulated sugar plus more to taste*
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of the water with the cornstarch. Stir until the mixture is runny.
Set the bowl aside.
In a saucepan, combine 3 cups of blueberries, the ginger, granulated sugar, and the salt.
Stir the lemon juice and the remaining water into the ingredients in the pot and bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat.
Once the blueberry ginger combination begins to simmer, begin to carefully press them with the spatula to extract the pectin from the berries. This helps the mixture thicken a bit.
Continue cooking- stirring frequently- until the mixture thickens slightly, or for about 5-6 minutes.
After the blueberry ginger liquid has thickened a bit and resembles a loose syrup, strain the juice from the pulp by pouring it through a fine-mesh strainer that's been placed over a bowl.
Use the rubber spatula to press the excess juice from the berries. Discard the berry skins or stir them in a cocktail or lemonade (after removing the ginger coins).
Return the extracted blueberry juice to the pot and bring it up to a simmer once again.
Pour the cornstarch mixture into the simmering liquid in a slow, steady stream while stirring constantly. After the cornstarch slurry has been added, allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer while stirring.
After 1- 2 minutes of simmering, the sauce should be thick. Check that it is the proper consistency: use your finger to create a line down the middle of your spatula. If the edges of the line hold, you're ready to proceed.
A runny sauce will need more slurry. Stir together a small batch: 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of cold water, and repeat the drizzling/stirring in step.
If the sauce it so thick it looks more like a pudding, add more water (a tablespoon at a time) to thin it it out.
If the sauce has developed lumps, strain it to remove the lumps before proceeding.
Remove the pot from the heat stir in the remaining blueberries. As the mixture cools, the residual heat will slightly cook the whole blueberries.
Allow the Blueberry Ginger Dessert Topping to cool or use it straightaway.
Store the topping in an air-tight container or jar in the fridge for one week.

Notes

*The amount of sugar you'll use is dependant on how sweet your berries are. Taste a few to determine if they'll need a 1/4 cup more or less sugar than called for.

Nutrition