Does anyone else make jam?

[DumbledoresGirl]

Or am I the only one?

What have you made lately?

This weekend, I picked nearly 20lbs of soft fruit and so far I have made:

5 jars of raspberry and redcurrant jam
7 jars of redcurrant jelly
5 jars of raspberry and blackcurrant jam
51/2 jars of raspberry jam

The only "speicalist" equipment I have is a jam pan, a sugar thermometer (but I never really use it) a large wooden spoon especially designed for the jam pan and a metal funnel to get the jam into the jam jars cleanly (that may seem a luxury but when you lift a jam pan full of boiling jam and try to pour some into a jam jar, you will know why a funnel is helpful).

Even failed jam (ie jam that has not set) would be fine to eat but would not last long. If you burn the jam, that is when you would have to throw it away. Go on Slubber, take the plunge, I can see you want to!

at first my jams were always too runny, but tasty, so i didnt throw them

dumbledre i know aht you mean abou t the funnel - i wish i had one - i use a ladel and it just makes a huge mess !

(Certo is liquid pectin - it's with the baking stuff in Tesco)

Jam funnel not vital. I have one but prefer to use an old Pyrex half pint jug. I let jam cool at least 15 mins (often 45 mins) before potting, then ladle it out with the jug.

OH yes, the funnel is more use than the jam pan IMO!

Ooh good tips Lilymaid and DG. I'm getting inspired.

(I needed another challenge after my success with my victoria sponge in my Village Show).

RHUBARB and ginger is my favourite

Oops not meaning to look like I am contradicting you lilymaid, my post was in response to nailpolish.

The only trouble with ladelling jam is getting it down the side of the jam jar.

I always make jams chutneys etc always have Mum used to grow lots of rosehips (rosehip and apple jelly is stunning) and I just got it from her.

Gooseberry is my favourite- as wella s a yummy jam in itself, I use it on gammon as a glaze. Its sharp enough to be useful like that.

oh thats such a shame when it dribbles down the outside of the jar, you just have to scoop it off and taste it

OMG! i think gooseberry migh tbe my favuorite, forgot about that...

I am going to have a go at apple jelly this autumn. Never made that before. There is an apple tree on council land near me and last year I made so much apple chutney that I still have a cupboard full of it left. So I thought apple jelly would be a good one to try this year. What can you do with it apart from eat it with roast pork?

If you want to make strawberry jam but have trouble getting it to set (as I do) my top tip is to use half strawberries and half gooseberries. The gooseberries make the jam easy to set and if you are not keen on gooseberries, be assured that the jam still tastes predominantly of strawberries.

Agree not to start with strawberry- gooseberry is a good one as the fruit naturally has a lot of pectin, but I just use jam sugar if I need pectin, that works well enough- you can do stuff with adding plum kernals in a muslin bag but thats just getting fiddly and not as enjoyable

I have a blackcurrant and 2 gooseberry bushes that I am slowly harvesting and freezing. Once I have a decent enough quantity I will be making jam. Weather is bad though so harvest very poor

Jam virgin question: What exactly is pectin?

I know it makes it set, and it's 'within' the fruit...it is the natural fruit sugar...or something else?

It is just that- the setting agent. Strawberries ar ridiculously high in water conrent which uis why I suppose they are so low, slightly acid fruits seem to have higher levels- apples and gooseberries etc

it's not a sweet-tasting sugar, it's a long-chain sugar molecule from plant cell walls - a 'soluble fibre'

here you go- pectin

thank you all. I now have pectin knowledge (? useful in trivial pursuit as well as jam making)

Strawberry and rhubarb jam is wonderful. I also like them separately! I never add extra pectin to strawberry jam, just use jam sugar and have never had any problems with it setting.

We have loads of fruit trees, especially plums so I make lots of plum jam and plum sauce. I still have about 20lbs of plums in the freezer from last year though! I'm very keen to try rosehip and apple jelly - I love making jellies, it's like magic!

A jam thread - wonderful. I've made 3lb of plum jam so far. Our plum tree has gone into overdrive this year. I've spent the afternoon stoning and sugaring plums and freezing them - 12lb so far and about another 8lb to go. At least that much again on the tree. Have had precarious time on ladder with 3.5 yo DS. Have big PYO near us and hope to do rasp and strawb. Also rhubarb and ginger, my all time favourite.

Experienced jammers - what do you do with a glut of fruit if you don't have time to turn it into jam? I asked this question on the food section and didn't get many replies. I googled and advice seemed to be either sugar the stoned plums then freeze or stew then freeze. What do you do?

Anyone wary about making jam then an easy way to start with small quantities is in the microwave - very easy esp for rasp or strawb. Also v good for lemon curd.

I make marmalade and strawberry jam

Ooh lovely does anyone have a good rhubarb and ginger jam recipe? I have the most enormous stems of rhubarb in the garden that need cooking up.

I make strawberry jam (Nigella's recipe using balsamic vinegar), gooseberry and blackberry. Also make pear chutney and gooseberry chutney (dp's favourite)

Just think Slubbers, a VSC with your own jam, how cool! heh heh!