Does anyone make jam?

[RubyFakeLips]

Our usually very unimpressive London garden has suddenly produced absolute bumper crops with clearly more to come.

Currently drowning in Rhubarb, Gooseberries and Plums. I’ve gifted, frozen and covered so much in crumble already now want to go the preserving route.

I’ve dutifully bought the Diana Henry book but is a preserving pan essential?

Any other tips I should take on? Stocked up on jars today but I’m a complete novice and quite shit at this sort of thing.

No, any big pan will do. A preserving pan is useful for the shape, so that it can evaporate or something. I use a stockpot so nothing like the 'right' shape!

Plums already?

Yes and a jam thermometer is essential !

I have to admit I followed the recipes on the preserving sugar bags and it's always been fine

Ooh a plum tip. Well all soft fruit really. The most ripe fruit has less pectin than the less ripe fruit. So don't use all super-ripe soft fruit, OR you'll have to use jam sugar, ie with added pectin.

Big saucepan. That's all. I just cook all the fruit down really, so arguably mine is compote rather than jam. I don't sterilise my jars either and haven't killed anybody yet.

I make small batches in my bread maker ☺️
You don't have to stand there stirring it!

Christ, I think they’re plums!

Great, I’ve got a stock pot type thing. It’ll be thrilled to see something other than chicken soup.

Is a jam thermometer a sugar thermometer?

I just do big pan, equal fruit and sugar with a splash of water and maybe some pectin if it’s a fruit that doesn’t set easily. Hard to mess up

You don’t need a jam thermometer. Use the ripple test, google it if you don’t know. Basically you cook the fruit and sugar until it thickens until the mixture starts to just stick to a wooden spoon. Then drop a bit onto Chilled saucer/ plate, put in fridge, check after a few minutes by gently moving your finger through the jam. If it wrinkles, it’s ready to pot.

Oh and if you crack open the stones of the fruit and pop them in the pan to boil away you’ll get a better set, that’s where lots of the pectin isn

Greengage jam takes bloody ages. That’s my tip for today. It’s bloody lovely though. Apricot it my fave though. I’ve never used a thermometer either- and I’ve been making jam since I was I was tiny (used to go picking berries with my grandpa and make jam with my mam).

@FelicityBeedle

I just do big pan, equal fruit and sugar with a splash of water and maybe some pectin if it’s a fruit that doesn’t set easily. Hard to mess up

This and if its not setting add some lemon juice. If you have a disaster and none of it sets you can reboil with added pectin or jam sugar. To test for setting stir the jam then hold the wooden spoon up and watch how slowly the jam drips off. If the drip just stops and doesn't drop you definitely have a set. Or just put a little on a cold plate and after a few min push with your finger to see if it wrinkles. Do be very careful though hot jam gives a terrible burn.

This is great. I’m going to spend tomorrow afternoon doing this.

Sterilisation was worrying me but sounds like it isn’t too much of an issue.

I’m going to feel very Barbara in The Good Life if I achieve this! Am usually much more of a Margot.

I've never used a jam thermometer, jam sugar or pectin. Just normal granulated sugar and the rippled test as mentioned above. Look up what fruits are naturally high in pectin - things with seeds & stones are good; soft fruit less so. Eg apple & blackberry works well, blackberries on their own (or strawberries/raspberries) won't set without a bit of lemon juice. I just go by trial & error and have had more successes that failures. Don't forget to sterilise the jars & lids though.

Just any old big pan (I use my pressure cooker without the pressure cooker bit) and a lot of cold plates in the fridge for the wrinkle setting test, plus a lot of patience for cleaning up afterwards! No preserving pan or jam thermometer in this house, I make about 30 jars a year. With practice you can tell by eye when it's at setting point.

I'm impressed you have plums this early. Lucky you! They can also be frozen for crumble later in the year.

For variety, you can also use fruit to make chutneys or pickles.

Lemon juice gives you pectin if your fruit is over ripe. Or jam sugar, which I probably use for more thing than I should.

My Mom used to make rhubarb and plum jam. They are nice together.

I would ensure the jars are washed well and put in a low oven to sterilize before filling with the jam. Are you intending to use specialist jars or bog standard jam jars with waxed paper and cellophane n rubber bands?

If you've got any fruit left over after all this jam making you could always make plum brandy or vodka.

I put the jars and lids on a baking sheet in an oven at 375f for 10 mins. Easy peasy

Impressed so many of you are jam makers. What are your favourite combinations?

Not sure I’m at the chutney stage yet as don’t really eat it much. I may just be shortsighted in my chutney views.

We’ve got blueberries, cherries, strawberries and raspberries all starting so I expect I’ll be jamming for months ahead at this rate.

Strawberry and fig is very nice

I made rhubarb and ginger this year , it is delicious and much tastier than the one I bought before. Black currant last year was ace too ( pruned too harshly though and there will be no fruit this year ) . Jam making is v satisfying .

Blueberry and apple turned out very good although it was a bit of a random choice.

Slightly under-ripe fruit has more pectin.
The faster jam is made the fresher it tastes- get everything as warm as possible so warm up your sugar in the oven before adding it.
As soon as you add the sugar the fruit will stop softening so make sure it’s good and soft before adding sugar.
Make sure the sugar is completely dissolved before bringing it back to the boil or it may crystallise at the top of the jar.
Once sugar is dissolved boil the absolute bejesus out of the jam to get it to setting point ASAP.
I use a jam thermometer but also frequently test for setting point with the wrinkle-on-cold-plate test as I find sometimes it’s reached setting point on the cold plate a little before the thermometer hits 105 and it can get over-set if left much longer.
It’s messy and fun and the jam is soooo delicious. I’m a blackberry and apple gal myself.