In a Jam - Easy-Peasy

May 17 2020

Jam is a lot easier to make than most people think.

It also doesn't have to be a mammoth effort -

potting make a couple of jars is entirely possible and reasonable.

The best jams are ones that really taste different to shop-bought

(blackcurrant or raspberry always seem sharper and fresher)

or those that you just can't buy such as rose jam,

which you make using apples as the base fruit and rose hips to flavour.

Feel free to use frozen fruits instead of picking or using fresh

- it's usually cheaper.

If you have a glut of fruit but don't feel like jam making,

stick it into the freezer for when you do.

Start with high pectin fruit such as blackcurrants, damsons,

or Seville oranges for marmalade.

Even "mid" pectin fruit such as raspberries will basically jam themselves.

Leave strawberries for a day that you're feeling brave

and don't be snooty about using extra pectin either in your sugar or as an additive.

Dribbling a bit of jam onto a plate cool from the freezer

is the easiest way to tell whether it has set.

Though a thermometer can be comforting, I've had jam set well before the "right" temperature has been reached.

& just don't worry if it doesn't set "hard".

Many people prefer a soft set "compote".

The worst thing that can happen ie no set at all, isn't too bad

- it just means you boil it again or use it as a syrup/sauce on ice cream etc.

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