Greengage Jam

[Larkshall]

Two years ago (August) I made two batches of greengage jam. One batch needed cooking slightly more and started mould after being opened for a month. The other batch was fully cooked and has kept for over two years. Some was in sealed jars and some in unsealed jars. I have just opened an unsealed jar and the jam is perfect (the last jar we used was a sealed jar and used up last week, it had been opened for four months).

I was always told that you must use cane sugar for jam making (I used Fair Trade cane sugar). Equal quantities, by weight, of fruit and sugar, nothing else. Cook until a trial spoonful skins over quickly and the fill the jars.

[Larkshall]

[valmarg]

Apparently the WI says there is no difference in jam making between cane sugar and beet sugar.

Personally, I prefer cane sugar, and that is what I shall continue to use.

valmarg

[Larkshall]

Apparently the WI says there is no difference in jam making between cane sugar and beet sugar.

Ah, there's the rub. The WI is a rural organisation. Farmers wives have a lot of say.

In the words of Mandy Rice-Davis "They would say that, wouldn't they?".

[PurpleHeather]

I wonder how they made jam before they invented sugar?

[Larkshall]

It's simple, they didn't have any. If wanted any sweetening they used honey.

[valmarg]

[[/quote]

Ah, there's the rub. The WI is a rural organisation. Farmers wives have a lot of say.
In the words of Mandy Rice-Davis "They would say that, wouldn't they?".
[/quote]

I was reporting a survey that the WI had carried out.  It dates back to when Jimmy Young had Tony diAngeli on his programme on a Thursday, so that goes back quite a few years,

The WI had carried out a survey which concluded that for jam making it didn't matter whether you used cane or beet sugar, what you ended up with was jam.

As I stated, my preference has always been for the natural product, ie cane sugar.  When making jam, that is what I always use.

The Women's Wag (as they are affectionately known) have been making jam for years.  (Jam and Jerusalem ;D)

I don't think the WI is purely a rural pursuit, I think there are branches in most towns and cities.

Of the farming commmunities,I think the sugar beet growers are in the minority, so I can't think that the 'farmers' wives woulds have much influence. ;D ;D

valmarg