Is it easy to make jam in a saucepan or is it easier to waste £79.99 buying an electric jam maker from Lakeland?

[PhantomOfTheChocolateCake]

I'd like to try making jam. Is there a traditional method that will save me £79.99?

Both low in pectin - go for strawberry and redcurrant or cherry and redcurrant.

Blackberries are low in pectin too - add redcurrents

Thanks. I didn't do anything like this with my mum so I've no idea really.

High-pectin fruits: blackcurrants, redcurrants, cooking apples, damsons, quinces, gooseberries and some plums.

Low-pectin fruits: blackberries, cherries, elderberries, pears, rhubarb, strawberries and medlars.

Medium pectin fruits: apricots, greengages, loganberries, raspberries, some plums.

Ohh, thanks. We'll be making some at half term, with some home made bread and muffins. Two weeks of cooking and fun!

I made sticky cardomom and cinnamon buns today. They are most lovely.

yes, I am showing off

lol

Unfortunately cardomom and cinnamon are quite high in my list of least favourite things

I don't know why I said that - it's not as though I was planning to pop around for afternoon tea or anything

well, I certainly shan't be asking you now, mercy.

And how can cardomom and cinnamon be two of your leadt favourite things? A little bit of sweet spice, what's not to like.

I think you just wanted to slap down a show off.

Mmmmmmmmm (drool) Stop! Please Stop!

I've nicked borrowed a lovely cake book from my neighbour, it has a nice recipe for apple and cinnamon loaf inside. YUUUUUUMMMMM!

this is my favourite Saw-you-Coming w*ery! Cheap though.

Jam is easy peasy and huge fun, and if you force the children out blackberry picking can be made for little more than twice the cost of store bought.

Want some crab-apples?

I have picked a bowlful of crab-apples from my garden and am going to make about 15 little jars of jelly tonight. You can find them growing wild but i think the season is earlier.

I have my grandmother's aluminium preserving pan which is bigger than the Lakeland ones.

It's not hard at all to make jam but you must follow intructions carefully. It's no harder than making a cake or something.

I make all our marmalade using those "ma-made" prepared oranges in a tin - the "domestic goddess" feeling is unbeatable.

Lol! What about this. Looks a bit like an anne summers item!

"If you cut through lettuce with a metal knife, natural oxidisation turns the edges brown."

yeah, if you leave it lying about for an hour. Whadda they take us for, those lakeland jokers.

Ohhh Marmalade! Yummmmmm!

There are some apples on the way to ds's school but they really are on the side of the road so have had 12 months of car exhaust fumes choking them to death. Pitty.

thing is, I can laugh about it now, but I know that next weekend I'll be in Canterbury to go to the library, I'll pass Lakeland on the way to Wagamama's and I'll pop in and spend 32.48 on unnecessary plastic objects. I'll probably even buy a banana guard!

Why oh Why?

See, no one was stupid enough to buy these!

Sorry PD, I'm sure your buns are lovely

yes, my buns are envied far and wide

Save your money for this - you can use it every day!

www.lakeland.co.uk/tefal!REG-toast-%27n%27-egg/F/C/cooking-baking/C/cooking-baking-small-appliances/ product/12263

Apparently, so simple even the daft bint in Catalogue Production that nobody ever listens to can use it. Wow, they value their skilled workforce don't they.

Ohh, I've seen those. I think they are soo fab! It's a shame I brought a new one last year that should have been a silly amount and was reduced. It could do with replacing though. This was a fab idea. Must have been a woman's suggestion.