Topic: calling all jam makers :D

[Borlotti]

Concentrated lemon in a bottle worked OK for me, but if you want to get fresh lemons OK, but cheaper in the bottle.  So much jam.

[mummybunny]

Well all done and looking good managed to get the settting point  ;D all in jars now. Cant wait for the first taste with my toast.

lucy

[mummybunny]

how long will the jam last? thats if i dont eat it all of course

[dtw]

I don't know about the wax & cellophane method,
I use old curry sauce jars which have the pop down lids.
I suppose it would last indefinitely as long as the air didn't get in.
The lids pop down again when the jam cools.

The jam wrinkling on a saucer method never works for me, it wrinkles, but never sets.

[bazzysbarn]

I dont use wax or cellophane either. I use old jars relations save for me. After i have washed the jars i put them in the microwave to sterilise before putting jam in.

[saddad]

We have sometimes "lost" a jar in the outside shed... and it has been 3 years old when it has come to light... (having gone behind the next years) and it was OK...  :-X

[Digeroo]

We ate some of my mother in laws jam years after she died.  After a while the sugar may crystallise but jam still ok.  If the seal has gone the jam starts to go mouldy very quickly. 

I sterilize my pots in the oven and put the jam straight into them while they are still very hot, the jam tends to bubble when it touches the glass.  It is important not to put them on a cold or wet surface as this can cause them to crack. 

Make sure you have no bare flesh around if you are making jam.  No sandals, or short skirts, or bare midriffs, it gets extremely hot.

first taste with my toast.

I always have a taste as I make it.  Also I remove the scum always thought this was particularly tasty.  Remember eating plum scum as a child. 

[Larkshall]

how long will the jam last? thats if i dont eat it all of course

I still have some greengage jam which I made two years ago, it was put in normal jam jars with the vacuum lids. The jar which I am currently using has been open for 3-4months stored at room temperature. The jam was made to an old recipe, equal weights of greengages and cane sugar. Boil to setting point and pour into the jars, seal down the lids while still hot.

Cane sugar was always used as beet sugar goes mouldy.

[PurpleHeather]

You can make small portions of jam in the microwave.

I have made it several times with black currants. Not being over fond of jam I keep the smallest possible glass jars for it otherwise half always goes moldy. 

Use a very large Pyrex type bowl

1lb fruit
1lb sugar
a quarter pint of water


Heat the fruit add the sugar stir until dissolved then put on full power until the jam bubbles right up to the top of the bowl. About 16 minutes depending on the microwave.

I think that the short cooking time makes a fruitier tasting jam.

I like the tip about adding red currants to strawberry jam to help it to set too. Have made a note of that to tell a few on the plots who have been asking about the setting of strawberry jam. There are loads of red currant bushes on site and most go to the birds.

The problem of having enough jam jars can be overcome by using drinking glasses. 

Pectin can be made if you squeeze citrus fruits for juice by collecting the pips from oranges and lemons and keeping them in the freezer until needed, boiling a heaped teaspoonfull of them for a short time in half a pint of water makes a jelly substance. This can be used for quite a few things like mint jelly Or stirred into the jam mix. It does not alter the flavour either.

[Emagggie]

Thanks for all that PH, especially the pectin info. All printed and filed. ;D

[tomatoada]

Purpleheather.  I intend to try your m/w method.  When do you add the water and do you use hot.  Thanks.

[budgiebreeder]

I add a handful of gooseberrys to my strawberry  jam to make it set and use sterilised coffee jars and lids .If you cant find the wax discs use the inside packet from cornflakes cut to size.No point in adding to the expense by buying special jars etc when u can  recycle other items.

[PurpleHeather]

sorry about missing out when to add the water. At the begining put it in with the fruit. Cold or hot, it does not matter that much. If there is some hot left in the kettle after make a cup of tea might as well use that.

I did make it without water at first but the juice evaporated and I got a stiffer jam.

I suppose you could use less sugar and leave out the water.

The difficult part is making sure that the sugar is thouroughly dissolved. It would work if you started it off on the stove then poured everything in the big bowl for the final microwaving but then you have another pan to wash up.

I remember my gran used to add butter to her strawberry jam, she said it was to stop the scum and give the jam a 'shine'.  Then grandad would eat the jam on  cheddar cheese and buttered crust from a freshly baked loaf.

[kt.]

I made some jam last week for the first time.  It tasted burnt afterwards so all 6 jars full were thrown away.  Tonight I purchased "1kg of SILVERSPOON SUGAR,  JAM SUGAR WITH ADDED PECTIN".  £1.07 for 1kg from Sainsbury.   It has red packaging with jam recipes on the back of the packaging. 

900g strawberries
1kg Jam Sugar
thingy of butter.

Managed to get 5 1/2 jars of perfect strawberry jam and I didn't even burn the pan.  That'll do nicely ;)

[Emagggie]

I made blackcurrant and used the jam making sugar, ended up with sliceable jam again :-[
Should I just use normal sugar, or less of it (used equal quantities), I used a thermometer too.
Heeeeellllp pleeeeeease :'(

[cacran]

I am really lazy when it comes to cooking.......! When I first made jam, I spent ages following all the rules, not missing any steps out. It took flipping ages and the am was not the best!!
When I got the allotment and had a glut of all sorts of fruit, I just chicked it in a pan with equal weight or ordinary sugar and cooked it until I thought it looked okay. I put it into jars which had been done in the dishwasher and rinsed again in boiling water and left to dry off, spme jars were old jam/coffee jars and others were Kilner type (Ikea have those very reasonably priced!) The jam was glorious. I did not bother with wax discs etc. and it has kept well I am eating 2007 jam at the moment, no mould or anything.
I sometimes get it more solid than others but keep the opened jar in the fridge and it is fine.
I find, the more care and fuss I make when cooking, the worse it comes out.
Good luck with yours. :)

[Old bird]

My second attempt at strawberry jam went wrong too!

Mine is still runny - this time I used Certo which says just to boil the fruit and sugar & lemon for 2 minutes take from heat and add certo.

Well it still didn't set - never mind - I can't be pfaffing around with it any longer - it will just be runny jam!

Old Bird

 ???

[kt.]

I made blackcurrant and used the jam making sugar, ended up with sliceable jam again :-[
Should I just use normal sugar, or less of it (used equal quantities), I used a thermometer too.
Heeeeellllp pleeeeeease :'(

I never bothered with a thermometer.  Get the sugar I mentioned as it has a recipe on the packet.  Same recipe applies to most fruits.  it only took 30 minutes to prepare, cook, and pour into jars.

[BockingBill]

My second attempt at strawberry jam went wrong too!

Mine is still runny - this time I used Certo which says just to boil the fruit and sugar & lemon for 2 minutes take from heat and add certo.

Well it still didn't set - never mind - I can't be pfaffing around with it any longer - it will just be runny jam!

Old Bird

 ???

Hi OB, the jam maker in our family had the same problem with certo so last year she made her own pectin from apple peel and cores - hey presto set jam no problem  :)

[Borlotti]

Use ordinary white granulated sugar, heat it first perhaps add a tiny, tiny bit of water, don't burn it just heat it.  I am trying to use up some of my redcurrants so add some to the strawberries and any raspberries if you have some.  A few squirts of pure lemon juice from a bottle or jif and just boil it rapidly and it does set.  Don't think I added water, although I did with my gooseberry jam as last year it set so hard had to be put on bread with a chisel.  I suppose I had better start making redcurrant jelly (so many redcurrants, in the freezer).  How much jam can one eat, have given some to next door neighbour as she likes my jam, I don't make it too sweet and she mixes it with yoghurt.  All my jam is stuck in old coffee jars, glasses, pickle jars (and the gooseberry jam smells of pickle although I washed the jars).  I think I may treat myself to a bigger jam making saucepan, some smart jam jar and some lovely labels as one is never quite sure what one is eating.  Reminds me when I offered grandchildren ice cream and it turned out to be spagetti bolognese in an ice cream carton.  :( :(