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

[themouseketeer]

I love making jam. Pectin is what makes it set, BUT I have never added pectin to my jams. It depends on the fruit, as some have a lot of pectin naturally. Strawberries have very little, so are difficult to get to set (add some apple, or a muslin bag full of apple seeds and cores etc to be removed before jarring); damsons and plums have loads so it can end up rock hard if you boil for too long!

Basically, add fruit and water to a BIG pan. Simmer til fruit is soft. Add same weight of sugar as fruit and bring to a rolling boil. It should come up to the right temperature ('setting temperature') but I don't have a jam thermometer. So I go for the 'wrinkle test.' Cold saucer (I pop it in the freezer) blob some jam on it, push it with my finger. Did the blob wrinkle? If yes, then it's done.

Pour into sterilised jars, while jam is still hot. Seal jars.

Leave to cool. Hope you got the setting point right.

Eat. Or pour over icecream if you got it madly and wildly wrong!