Jam making equipment

[Borlotti]

Not a recipe, sorry, but didn't know where else to put it.  Two things I wanted, jam labels, Smiths don't sell them, made do with computer labels and I really need a big saucepan or whatever, as have to split the fruit and cook it in batches.  Looked on ebay, and computer and am now confused of Enfield.  Don't want an enormous pot, saw some today in Morrisons the right size.  Stainless steel, aluminium £9.99 and another stock pot for £29.99. The question is all you jam makers, do I have to have a special jam saucepan that doesn't stick or just buy a cheap one, have looked in charity shops but no luck so far.  Any help much appreciated, as was given loads of plums and they do make good jam.

[Borlotti]

[aj]

Have you tried ebay or lakeland?

In answer to the pot question; I got my mum to get me a big stock pot one year [before the credit crunch] and it has served me well. I currently have cider vinegar in there tonight to make pickled courgettes this evening....yum!

Sorry, got carried away there - yes, I got a decent one as the cheap ones do tend to burn the jam when it is on a rolling boil...well worth getting a good quality one and it should last decades...

[hippydave]

Harrod do lots of jam equipment but dont know how they compare price wise to other retailers.
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/pages/category/category.asp?ctgry=Making_Jam%2C_Preserves_and_Chutney&AffiliateCode=JHAG

[Sparkly]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Jam-Pan-Preserving/dp/B000FGGE0O/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1282323993&sr=8-2  I have this works well

Lots of labels on there, although not cheap:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dkitchen&field-keywords=jam+labels&x=0&y=0

I have seen cheap labels at dunhelm mill

[Sparkly]

One of these is brilliant for making labels:

http://www.pcjerry.co.uk/products.asp?partno=S0838860

We were lucky in that we acquired one that was no longer needed at Ant's work. You can design really fancy labels and print them out easily.

[qahtan]

Wow but what a price just for labels.   qahtan

[Trevor_D]

Why not peel-off sticky labels and a pen?

[springbok]

You could try a Wanted advert on your local freecycle or freegle for the jam making pot.

[Borlotti]

Seems I want a maslin pan, which I believe is stainless steel, so the one in Morrisons for £9.99 may be OK but seems a bit cheap. Think they call them stock pots.  It is the size I want.  I know the labels are expensive but as I have made all the effort to make the jam, and will probably give a lot away, I really, really want pretty labels.  ;D ;D ;D

[Digeroo]

My mother in law used very simple labels I think they were left over from the war effort. ;D  But it was the jam which was the star of the show.

I have always made jam in the pressure cooker base.   For  blackcurrants I zap them a few minutes at pressure and then leave them in the same pan and add the sugar.

[qahtan]

 We just steamed the berry's for the juice then made that into Jelly, Don't like all that crud and stuff , Made 10 pound jelly. now doing the last of the Elderberry's.    qahtan

[Jeannine]

Don't buy aluminum if you are going to make pickles ot chutneys as it reacts with the vinegar and you really should get one with a good heavy base which doesn't burn so easlily, often stock pots are thin because they are boiling thin fluids. You still in my opinion need a great big pan for water bathing your filled jars and a stockpot is perfect for this.

XX Jeannine

[Sparkly]

Wow but what a price just for labels.   qahtan

Yep exactly. We got ours free with a load of labels  :) Great piece of kit though.

[Jeannine]

Look on google, you will find tons of print your own labels..too many to put a link on, there are lots,XX Jeannine

[galina]

Don't buy aluminum if you are going to make pickles ot chutneys as it reacts with the vinegar and you really should get one with a good heavy base which doesn't burn so easlily, often stock pots are thin because they are boiling thin fluids. You still in my opinion need a great big pan for water bathing your filled jars and a stockpot is perfect for this.

XX Jeannine

Stockpot works fine.  I put three folded cotton tea towels underneath the jars to protect the glass when I am not using my proper waterbath  (hand-me-down from my grandmother). 

[jennym]

Stellar make a jolly good thick bottomed jam pan,but it's pricy, but lasts for ever.
You can get away with a thinner based pan if you use a heat diffuser.
Here's a link, but I didn't buy from here:
http://www.pots-and-pans.co.uk/acatalog/Stellar_28cm_Maslin_Pan_12_05l.html
Labels done on the pc are fine, I do loads.

[1066]

I have a stock pot (got it years ago in Heal's sale and is normally used for party food - you know large quantities of curries etc), and I don't feel it is the same thing.  My Jam pan, inherited from my mum, has finally given up the will to live. I'm gutted, and have been trying to find a replacement for a couple of years. It's very wide and shallow, with 2 handles. It was perfect for jam and marmalade.

I'm going to make a planter with my mum's jam pan next year  - that way at least I can get to enjoy it for a bit longer

1066  :)

[Jilldy]

have you tried an aisian shop or market.  I have had mine for years it was only cheep.  does jam chutney stew or curry for 20 people its great.

[1066]

Thanks Jilldy I hadn't thought of that. I have had a look on line and found some nice copper ones (and blimey some are hideously expensive!) and was wondering if they would do the job?

Just have to pluck up the courage and drill some holes into the old jam pan, have been putting it off for 2 years!

1066  :)

[kypfer]

A maslin pan is especially good for jam-making as it doesn't splash as much as a vertically sided pan, (the "gloops" can expand sideways as they rise through the jam so don't explode as dramatically when the reach the surface), also the extra handle makes it much easier to pour from.

A jam funnel can be made from the top-section of a large plasic bottle with a largish-diameter neck, mine is 6" in diameter with a 1 1/2" neck.