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Jam in a microwave

Started by ipt8, April 16, 2008, 20:19:47

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ipt8

Made jam many times with mom when I were a lad the old fashioned way. How do you go about it with a microwave? Is it still the same weight of fruit and sugar? Some basic advise welcome.
Thanks
Ivor

ipt8


Baccy Man


grawrc

Microwave jam doesn't last quite as long as traditional jam but tastes more of fresh fruit.

jennym

Have tried using the microwave to make very small batches of normal jam, when I say normal I mean jam that will keep for the same length of time as when cooked in a pan, and when using equal quantites of prepared fruit and sugar.
Found some problems.
Firstly, you need to use a container that is at least twice as large as the amount of jam you are making. This is because otherwise it splashes, spits and overflows etc.
Secondly, it is hard to safely handle the very hot container,
Thirdly, it is hard to safely and accurately measure the temperature.
It can be done, but isn't a good way to my mind.
There is one advantage with using a microwave. Some fruits tend to be water laden, or to catch easily in a pan because they don't have a high pectin content and there is the tendency to want to "cook down" to "make them set". If you pre-cook fruit such as rhubarb or strawberries in the microwave, you don't have to use much, if any, water, and they tend to soften up nicely, and if cooked without a lid an amount of the water is driven off for you. Then, the cooked fruit can be weighed, transferred to a pan, and jam making can proceed in the pan.
I must say, that this method is fine with small batches but pressure cooking is better for larger batches - not for rhubarb though, as this can foam up in the pressure cooker and really make a mess.

Shirley

Does anyone have a recipe for rhubarb jam in a microwave?

Baccy Man


Shirley


PurpleHeather

Microwave is right for small quantities of jam. Not ideal for more than 2lb of fruit.

I use a big glass pyrex type bowl (large mixing bowl size)

2lb fruit
2lb sugar

About 10 minutes to soften fruit on full power then add the sugar making sure that you stir it until it is dissolved.

Put back into the microwave on full power and because every microwave differs, I keep it going until the bubbles rise to the top of the bowl.

Then, to sterilise the jars  quarter fill with water and put on full power until the water boils. (bubbles rise)

This is great when you have frozen fruit. even marmalade can be microwaved. Freeze what ever citrus fruit you have and then put them through a blender (Yes everything). Weigh, heat and add the same weight in sugar. Nuke until bubbles rise to top.

To make your own pectin, leave a small container in the freezer and every time you have oranges lemons or grapefruit collect the pips.

One table spoon of pips simmered for 5-10 minutes more or less in half a pint of water  Stirred well to release all the jelly. Will produce enough pectin to make jams from things like rhubarb which have no natural pectin. You can tell when it has worked because the mix starts to get sticky. I use the hob for this because the pips can go bang in the nuker.

Use the pip water, strained through a tea strainer added to the cooked fruit. No need to add more sugar.

If you have hard to set jams then you can add a cube or two of the right flavoured jelly. Handy for making strawberry jam in small quantities because it does not keep too well.

For diabetic jam stew the fruit and add a diabetic jelly to it. This will not keep well at all but it does give a diabetic a chance to enjoy bread/toast and jam.

Sorry I do not time things, just cook until done. Seem to know this now as I have been doing it since we came off Noahs boat.


floraldi

Somewhere I have an excellent recipe for Lemon Cheese/Curd in a microwave. It's very easy, just lemon juice, butter and sugar.  Seem to remember the eggs  need to be sieved to prevent the bits of white spoiling the appearance.

As already mentioned, making jam in a microwave means using a large bowl to make a relatively small amoun t of jam.

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