Jam

[mary_greenman]

So my mother sent me out yesterday to get fruits and other ingredients for her Fruit Salad. I bought some extra ingredients because I want to try my hand at blueberry bagels, but then I also went a little over board and bought Black Berries as well. I wanted to figure out how to make Jam but couldn't find a recipe that I liked, so I sort of just

Comments

[leatherfemme]

Pectin is generally the preferred thickener for jams and jellies.

Straining after cooking is good as that gives more flavor.

Sounds like what you made was a delicious sauce.

here's a jam recipe to help you along:
http://preservedandpickled.blogspot.com/2011/07/blueberry-ginger-jam.html

[mary_greenman]

I think the results were a sauce, like you said, but it had the same consistency as Jam. I've never used Pectin before, and we didn't have it, though I have seen it in other recipes.

[wldrose]

Not even close, and you need to keep it in the fridge. The cooking is what makes it safe to store.

It sounds lovely though

(fresh blueberry like you get in the store are not often what is used in blueberry bagels or muffins for that matter, often they use smaller drier berries or they use dehydrated berries)

[kamaliitaru]

I thought it was not only the way it was cooked (there are a few here), as well as the way it was processed once in the jars that make it shelf stable? I'm probably totally wrong here, since I make freezer jam for the most part anymore, since I can skip most of the sugar, and the fruit tastes fresher to me.

[wldrose]

the canning part of it is how it is preserved. but the jelling is in the first cook.

[mary_greenman]

The end product was stored in the fridge and it kept the form well.

As for the Blue Berries, do you think frozen would work?

[neptunia67]

I do something similar to make blueberry compote for crepes, but like the others said, you made more of a sauce than a jam, which generally requires pectin.

[mary_greenman]

Do you know why Pectin is required? I never really understood that, and thought cornstarch worked as a fine substitute. *shrugs*

[neptunia67]

Pectin is a natural derivative of fruit and is used for canning. I think cornstarch is a fine ingredient if you're planning to use the product within a few days, otherwise pectin is better for preserving; I'd never use cornstarch for long-term preservation of food. It just seems like it would be a great medium for bacterial growth, being a grain derivative.

[mongorules]

I love your creativity!

[mary_greenman]

lol thank you!

*smiles*

[kestrelcat]

I have done similar things before. Especially to make berry pie or filling. Always made to much and ended up using as jam. Froze well and was yummy. Good for you for building your own recipe!

Oh if you over buy again berries make great smoothies and will freeze.

Cheers-
KC

[mary_greenman]

*waves*

I used the extra berries to make a wonderful ice-cream, based off a recipe from this book on ice cream I got. So very yummy and fragrant. I'm going to go back and see how I can make the infusion's flavors stronger, and I definitely want to repeat the process again.

Very Cool!

[kestrelcat]

You might think about using alcohol to do the herbal infusion. It usually pulls more out of a given herb. I used to do lavender tinctures with high proof vodka. It does take sometime though.

KC