is homemade jam much nicer than the shop stuff?

[nappyaddict]

and is it a huge pita to make?

sure more experienced others will turn up in a second but fwiw -

I've made blackberry jam a couple of times. I didn't have a thermometer so was waiting for it to 'gel' on the back of a spoon, which NEVER happened. We ended up with a thick blackberry syrup - tasted good though.

the thing I liked about it (and would do it again despite the disaster) is that ALL you get in the jar is fruit and sugar, no preservatives, emulsifiers, etc. that's worth a lot to me!

My MIL has given me a load of her strawberry jam, it is the only way DD2 will eat toast, if I scrap some over it, so Ireckon she can taste a difference.
Plus it is the only jam that I have got to the bottom of the jar and it hasn't gone mouldy...

don't you have to put pectin in it?

I've made blackberry jam many times without adding extra pectin, it does have a very soft set though.

I like making jam because I can make types you just don't get in the shops like sloe jelly, quince jelly, apple struper etc I also make them from foraged/windfall fruit I get for free so it's obviously way cheaper and as phdlife says there are no additives.

erm, well - mil advised that lemon juice contained sufficient pectin to 'set' my jam and I believe her (she is Super Domestic Goddess Queen) but it didn't work for me. Assume this is down to something I was doing wrong, though.

I think the pectin comes from the lemon juice..

Making jam is better in that you can control what goes into the pan and the jar, but it is a pricey way of doing things if you are buying the fruit, sugar ...

yes it is much nicer
= quantities of fruit and sugar
boil it up
wait for it to set
bung in some jars

oh yeah - ProfYaffle's point about foraging is good. We just picked blackberries down by the old railway line - FREE jam for a year! Hurrah!

Home made jam is much nicer, I made raspberry jam this year as had a massive bumper crop in the garden and it was so nice and I now only have a tiny bit left

Oh yes phd, free fruit, recycled jars, can't remember the last time I bought jam!

I agree. We made strawberry jam with a glut of strawberries, and it was absolutely delicious. Much better than shop bought.

It depends.

phdlife - i know what you mean. i hate the fact that the shop bought ones always contain glucose fructose syrup. surely the sugar from the fruit is enough without adding extra refined sugar.

btw how long does homemade jam last and also things like redcurrant jelly and mint jelly. do you have to keep them in the fridge? do you have to get special jam making sugar or will normal sugar do? (we use organic unrefined stuff)

My jam has lasted a year in the cupboard, in the fridge once opened. which sugar you need depends on the type of fruit you use. Some is naturally high in pectin (like apples, gooseberries, quinces) and normal sugar will be ok, others are low (strawberries, raspberries) and will need either jam making sugar or to be mixed with high pectin fruit or lemon juice.

I got Margueritte Pratten's (sp?) jam making book, it's very good.

if you use lemon juice does it affect the taste?

Not really, although it can just take the edge off very sweet jam, you don't have to use very much.

definitely tastes better.
I think it if a faff to be honest, but I'm told you can make small quantities in the microwave, never tried it. ALso some breadmakers do jam.