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Making Jam


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#1
admin

admin

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Jam is one of the most effective, and tasty, ways of preserving fruit. It can be slightly messy and is a bit more time consuming than other ways of preservation such as drying and freezing but the results are much more satisfying. Homemade jam when done properly is a delicious and a far superior product to any supermarket bought jam.

Please read all of the steps before you start the process as you may need to do things before you start.

The three 'rules' to jam making are to a sugar concentration of 60-65% a pectin content of 0.5-1.0 % and a pH of 2.8-3.4.
Pectin is important to the jam’s set: low-pectin fruits like strawberries need extra pectin (in the form of lemon juice or pectin-enriched sugar) to reach a spreadable consistency. When choosing fruit, select pieces that are perfectly ripe and unblemished they’ll have the best levels of pectin and the finest flavour. If the fruit needs washing, make sure you dry it thoroughly using kitchen towels, because excess water can prevent the jam from setting or cause mould on the finished jam. .

Equipment required for making your own Jams & Jellies:

Although you can improvise, if you intend to make a lot of jam then it's worth getting the right equipment.

Preserving Pan
Although small quantities of jam can be made in a heavy-based saucepan or a pressure cooker, without the lid, it is worth investing in a good quality thick based, stainless steel preserving pan. A good quality pan will cost a bit but they do last a lifetime. Our preserving pan is now 25 years old and still going strong.

Scales
Preferably with both metric and imperial measurements There's a good range of measuring equipment and scales here - Kitchen Scales, Measuring Jugs etc

Muslin
A piece of muslin is ideal for straining fruit, especially if you are making fruit jellies, seedless jam, or fruit butter.

Nylon Sieve
Ideal for making fruit purees.

Heatproof jug or wide necked stainless steel funnel
A heatproof glass, stainless steel or enamel jug is useful for pouring the jam into the jars. Alternatively a wide necked stainless steel funnel can be used like this easy-fill jam funnel.

Spoons
A long-handled wooden spoon for stirring the jam and a perforated stainless steel spoon for removing scum and stones

Sugar Thermometer
Useful if large quantities of jam are being made as it is the most accurate way to test that setting point has been reached. Sugar thermometers need not be expensive.

Homemade Jam Recipes
Jars you can use a variety of methods to seal your jars. This is important because it keeps bacteria out of your jam, preventing mould from forming. One option is to buy traditional Kilner jars, which come with a rubber seal. You can also buy ordinary jam jars with metal lids you don’t need a wax paper seal for these, as they shut tightly. The third option is to buy waxed paper and cellophane covers. When placed directly onto the surface of the warm jam, the paper creates an airtight seal a plastic or pretty fabric cover will be fine over the top of the jar. You will also need a large pan for boiling up fruit, a wooden spoon, and some muslin or a jelly-bag if you want to strain your jam.

The recipes below made ten jars of jam using the first recipe bellow, (all taken from, Food From your Garden), after my glut of black currants this year. In terms of weight 3 kg of fruit will make 5 Kg of Jam.

Steps two and three, (setting point and potting) are the same for all recipes and are shown below.

Step One - Basic Recipes

The measurements used are metric and English imperial Americans should adjust accordingly to American pints etc.

Blackcurrant Jam
Weights and measures conversion chart
2 Kg (4lb) Blackcurrants
1.5 litres (3 pints) water
3 Kg (6lb) Sugar

Stem the currents, wash and drain carefully, put the fruit in a pan with water and simmer until reduced by almost half. Stir frequently to avoid burning.
Add the sugar, stir until dissolved; boil rapidly until setting point is reached, (see below).

Loganberry/Raspberry Jam

Weights and measures conversion chart
3 Kg (6lb) Loganberries or Raspberries (Or Both)
3 Kg (6lb) Sugar
Simmer the cleaned berries over a very low heat for 15-20 minutes or until reduced to a pulp, stirring constantly. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved, and then boil until setting point is reached.
Blackberry and Elderberry Jam
Weights and measures conversion chart
1.5 Kg (3lb) Cultivated or wild blackberries.
1.5 Kg (3lb) Elderberries
3 Kg (6 lb) Sugar
300 - 450 ml (½ - ¾) pint water

Simmer the stemmed and washed elderberries in the water until soft and pulpy; rub through a sieve to remove the seeds. Return the pulp to the pan, with the hulled and rinsed blackberries, and simmer for about ten minutes or until soft.
Add the warmed sugar, stir until dissolved, and then boil rapidly until setting point has been reached

Apple Jam

Weights and measures conversion chart
3kg (6lb) Sharp cooking apples
1 litre (2 Pints) Water
2 Level tablespoons of citric acid
12 Cloves
3 Kg (6lb) Sugar

Wash, dry and slice the apples, but do not peel or core. Simmer to a pulp, with the citric acid and cloves tied in a muslin bag.
Remove the cloves; sieve and weigh the pulp. Return to the pan, with 1 ½ lb of sugar to every 2 lb of pulp (750 g to 1Kg).
Stir until dissolved and boil rapidly to setting point.

Blackberry and Apple

4Kg (4lbs) blackberries
1 Kg (2 lb) apples
3 Kg (6 lbs) sugar
Peel and core the apples, removing any bad parts.
Cut the apples into rough slices
Float the blackberries in cold water to remove dust and debris, and then remove any remaining stalks and unpleasant looking berries.

If you are squeamish, check for tiny maggots, but actually this isn't necessary as they will be few and far between, and you'll never know in the final jam!
Place the apple slices and blackberries into a preserving pan.

Add the sugar and slowly heat the pan, stirring all the time.

When the sugar is dissolved and the pan contains a liquid rather than dry fruit chunks, bring the pan to the boil.
Continue boiling the jam, and removing any scum that appears on the surface.

Strawberry

5 lbs of hulled (stalks cut out) strawberries
5 lbs of sugar
2 small lemons
Preparation 1 Place all the ingredients in a preserving pan.
Slowly bring to the boil to make sure all the sugar is dissolved.
Keep boiling until the jam will set when tested.
Remove any scum by skimming the surface.
Pour into prepared jars.


Step Two- Setting Point

When you begin the recipe, put a couple of small saucers into your freezer. At the moment you want to start testing, remove a saucer and use a teaspoon to put a small amount of jam onto it. Leave it for a few seconds and then push the jam with your little finger (be careful!). It will wrinkle on the surface when the jam is ready. If not, try again in a minute or two with a fresh saucer.

Step Three - Potting Jam


Warm up jars by placing them in a pan of boiled water for five minutes or so.
Leave Jam for 10-15 minutes without stirring once setting point has been reached.
Remove any scum that may have formed on the top of the jam.
Dry jars and pour the hot jam into them.
Cover the top of the jam with a wax disc, (use cut greaseproof paper)
Cover the top with cellophane or greaseproof paper, secure with an elastic band and screw the cap on the jar.
Label and date

You can make personalised gifts with the jam, i.e. a printed label with 'this jam was exclusively bottled for (insert name)'.

#2
Ragnorack92

Ragnorack92

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I'm glad to know somebody tried this. I'm thinking of making some jam to give away for Christmas. So do you think the jam you made would be all right to last unrefrigerated for a couple weeks? Normal jam is, but I saw one breadmaker recipe for jam that said something about storing the finished jam in the refrigerator.



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