Making Jam !!!

[Carol]

I make jam every year and have done since I married (a long time).  Tonight I had over 1lb of rasps sitting in the fridge and decided to just turn it into jam.   Took a bag of sugar and tipped it in   1kg  OK!!!!  It wasnt until I was testing it for setting point and tasting it, I thought  that tastes strange?   then it twigged, silly silly me.  What can I do with it now??  any ideas what to do with this sickly jam?    ;D ;D ;D ;D. 

[Carol]

[supersprout]

Bleurrrrgggh! :P
LOL the habit of a lifetime ;)
Wasp traps, or add another lb of rasps?
;D

[scotch-mist]

What about crab apples?
or a pound of some other bitter tasting fruit.

I definatly would not chuck it away

[jennym]

Adding more fruit is really the only way of making it taste better.
When you get more fruit, rasps, maybe blackberries - cook it first. At the same time, re-heat  the existing jam slowly. When the fruit has cooked and is at boiling point, then add it to the hot jam. Then bring the whole lot up to 104/105 degrees, and you will have uniform consistency, the new fruit won't be like bullets, and it will be sterilised again for jarring.
I find it's best to test for setting before the sugar is added, cook the fruit at boiling point, take a little juice (half a teaspoon) in an eggcup, let that cool, pour on enough methylated spirits to cover it, and if it jellifies, (i.e. forms a distinct jelly-like blob on a plate when you tip the egg cup out) then there is enough pectin to make the jam set. Ypu can then add sugar safely. If it doesn't jellify, you can boil the fruit some more and re-test, if it still doesn't you can add lemon juice, re-boil and re-test. By doing it before the sugar is added you avoid the possibility of over boiling the sugar and ruining the jam.

[Carol]

Thanks for your replies and advice.  Silly silly me, good job it wasn't more rasps or this would ahve been an expensive mistake.  Hubby thinks it tastes delicious along with creme freche and ice cream.  He would though, he has such a sweet tooth.  So it looks like the 'jam' will get finished after all and more rotten teeth for OH!!!  :o :o :o :o :o

[fluffygrue]

Jam tarts? Might not notice the sickly-ness if it's only in small quantities..

That's what I tend to do with my jam-that-goes-wrong, anyway!

[luckystar]

 ??? So, how do you make jam?! Never made jam before.  ::) But would love to try it out!  :)

How much fruit would you need for it to be worthwhile? I have about 1 kg of gooseberries and would love to try to 'jam' them. Thanks!