Thursday 13 - fruit jams

Fruit jams

Always first sterilize the jars: Remove excess scum with a slotted spoon.
Make sure glass rims of jars are spotless. Clean with white vinegar if not. Sterilise. Filling jars: Ladle hot jam into hot sterilised jars. Put on hot lids and twist tight. Use a cloth not to burn your hands. Set upside down on a tea towel to cool undisturbed or alternatively further process in a hot water bath to ensure a good vacuum and seal. Test if jam is ready: place a spoonful of jam on a saucer, leave for 30 seconds, then push a teaspoon through the jam - if the surface of the jam wrinkles, it is set

1. Rhubarb & Apple Jam

Ingredients

• 2 lbs rhubarb
• 2 lbs apples
• 1 cup of mixed wild berries (blackberry, elderberry, blackcurrants or frozen mixed berries)
• 3 lbs of sugar

Method

Wash and peel apples. Cut into chunks.
Wash and string (where necessary) the rhubarb. Chop into chunks, cover in all the sugar, mix and set aside for 30 minutes to bring out the juice.
Put the sugar-coated rhubarb, rhubarb juice and apple chunks in a preserving pan (or similar) and simmer gently (add a little water if necessary) stirring slowly until soft (about 5-10 mins).
Add the berries. Bring to boil and simmer, stirring slowly until soft (about 5-10 mins). Add a little more water if necessary to prevent burning.
Boil rapidly for a further 10 mins stirring regularly.
Take off the heat. Test a large drop of jam on a chilled saucer and if it crinkles after a couple of mins it’s ready (alternatively use a jam/candy thermometer until it reaches 105C)
If not boil for another 2 mins and repeat the test until ready.
Put in jars

2. Banana Jam

Ingredients:

• Bananas - overripe ones give the best taste.
• Fresh lime juice - lemon juice is OK too.
• Sugar - any kind will do. Brown sugar gives a more caremelly taste.
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla - use a good quality vanilla extract, paste or the seeds from a vanilla bean.

Instructions:
Step 1: Peel the bananas, chop them into small discs measuring approximately 2.5 cm (1 inch), and place them in a bowl with lime juice.
Step 2: Sugar and water in a pot
Bring to a boil over medium heat.
Step 3: Once the sugar syrup bubbles away, lower the heat, add the chopped bananas and stir to combine. Add the cinnamon and vanilla.
Step 4: Allow to boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Stir continuously. Allow the jam to cook for 30 mins. (check on it at least every 5 minutes and stir it).

Step 5: The jam is ready when it has thickened and become golden brown - test by running your finger across the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat, allow to cool and store in a sterilised jar.

3.  Bramle & Bay Jam

Ingredients:

• 500g blackberries
• 300g cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 3 bay leaves
• Juice 1 lemon
• 1kg jam sugar

Instructions:
Put a small plate on the freezer.
Put the blackberries, apples and bay leaves in a preserving pan or large heavy-based saucepan with the lemon juice and 50ml water. Medium heat, bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10-15 minutes until the blackberries burst and are tender. Squash them gently with a potato masher to break up the larger pieces of fruit.
Add the sugar to the pan and cook, stirring to dissolve. Bring to the boil, then boil rapidly for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Spoon a teaspoonful of jam onto a chilled side plate. Leave for one minute, then gently drag your finger through the jam. If it wrinkles, it has reached setting point; if it doesn’t, return the saucer to the freezer, put the pan back on the heat and boil the jam for a further 3-5 minutes, then take off the heat and try again. With a digital or sugar thermometer, the temperature should read 105°C when the jam is ready.
Stir the jam to distribute the fruit throughout, then ladle into the jars and seal.

4. Strawberry jam

• Ingredients
• 1kg strawberries (hulled and rinsed)
• 1kg Jam Setting Sugar
• 10g butter

Instructions:

Crush strawberries coarsely with a potato masher or blender.
Place strawberries and Chelsea Jam Setting Sugar in a large, heavy-based 6 litre pot.
Heat mixture on low until sugar has dissolved. Do not allow to boil.
Add butter then increase heat and bring to a full boil (a boil that cannot be stirred down).
Boil for 4 minutes only. Remove from heat and skim off any foam.

5. Spiced Blueberry-Peach Jam without added pectin

• 4 cups chopped or ground peaches (about 4 pounds peaches)
• 4 cups blueberries (about 1 quart fresh blueberries or 2 ten-ounce packages of unsweetened frozen blueberries)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• ½ cup water
• 5 ½ cups sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves
• ¼ teaspoon whole allspice

Instructions:

Sort and wash fully ripe peaches; peel and remove pits. Chop or grind peaches. Sort, wash, and remove any stems from fresh blueberries. Thaw frozen berries.

Measure fruits into a kettle. Cover with lemon juice and water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sugar and salt; stir well. Add spices tied in cheesecloth. Boil rapidly, stirring constantly, to 9 degrees F. above the boiling point of water, or until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat; take out spices. Skim.

6. Fig jam scented with earl grey tea and star anise

Ingredients:

• 500ml freshly boiled water
• 4 earl grey tea bags
• 500g small ripe figs
• 500g jam sugar (sugar with pectin added)
• 6 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp finely ground star anise

Instructions:
Pour 500ml boiling water into a jug with the tea bags and leave it to brew for about 10 minutes.
Wash the figs, then cut off the stems. Quarter or dice the fruit and put in a heavy-based pan or a preserving pan. Add the tea bags and water and bring up to a simmer. Cook at a gentle bubble until the figs are very soft (10-15 minutes). Remove the tea bags. Add the sugar, lemon juice and star anise. Keep the heat low, stir the preserve until you’re sure all the sugar has dissolved and there’s no grittiness left in the mixture.
Turn up the heat, bring the mixture to a rolling boil and cook for 6 minutes (set a timer). Turn off the heat, then test the jam.

7. Lemon Jam

Ingredients

• 3 medium lemons
• 1 kg castor sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
• 1 litre water
• water (additional water for soaking lemons)

Instructions
Wash lemons and cut off the very top and bottom ends of the lemons.
Slice lemons thinly (removing any seeds as you go), cover with enough cold water to completely immerse the lemons and leave overnight.

The next day, strain off the liquid and place lemons in a large saucepan. Cover with enough cold water to completely immerse the lemons and bring to the boil. Add the bicarb soda and boil for 15 minutes.
Allow to cool a little and then strain off the liquid again. Leave lemons to cool completely.
Add the one litre of water to the lemons and boil uncovered for 15-20 minutes.

Add half of the sugar, stir over low-medium to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a steady simmer and simmer for 50-60 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Add the other half of the sugar and bring to the boil. Continue to stir every couple of minutes for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture reaches setting point.

8. Plum and Vanilla Jam

Ingredients:

• 500g glucose syrup
• 500g caster sugar
• 150ml water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthways
• Pared zest 1 orange
• 1.5kg plums, halved and pitted
• 1 tbsp liquid pectin
• 15g food-grade citric acid or 5 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions:

Put the glucose, sugar, water, salt, cinnamon, star anise, vanilla pod and orange zest in a large preserving pan (or a large, deep heavy-based saucepan). Put over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally, to dissolve the sugar and create a spiced syrup.
As the syrup reaches 140°C it will start to turn golden. As soon as it hits that temperature, very carefully add the plums (don’t tip them in all at once, otherwise you risk splashing boiling syrup on yourself). The syrup will harden but don’t worry – just continue to heat until it remelts, stirring gently to coax it along (but trying not to break up the plums too much). Continue to cook over a high heat for around 10 minutes or until the syrup is liquid, bubbling, bright purple and returns to 120°C.
Stir in the pectin and citric acid (or lemon juice). Remove from the heat. Leave to cool slightly. Then lift out and discard the cinnamon, star anise, orange peel and vanilla pod.

9. Watermelon Jam

Ingredients

• 2 cups pureed watermelon
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups white sugar
• 6 tbsp/2 packages powedered pectin ("low sugar" or "no sugar needed"

Instructions
Put pureed watermelon, lemon juice and sugar in a pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to simmer.
Add the pectin and whisk it with a handheld whisk or a fork immediately, so it dissolves without clumping.
Bring the watermelon jam to a boil again. Reduce heat to simmer, stirring every minute, for 20 minutes.
Pour the watermelon jar into a mason jar. This watermelon jam will set completely once it's cooled.
This watermelon jam can be canned, or you can simply store it in a refrigerator (it will stay fresh in a refrigerator for up to 1 month).

10. Rosehip Jam

Ingredients:

• 8 cups large rosehips
• 1 large orange
• 1 large green apple
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 6 cups water
• 5 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon butter

Instructions: Prepare the rose hips:
Cut away the green ends. Cut the rose hips in half and scrape out and discard all of the seeds and hairy bits.
Rinse the rose hips and discard any bits that are blemished. Then roughly chop the rose hips. You will need 4 cups of clean, chopped rose hips.

Prep the orange:
Cut off and discard the ends of the orange. Slice the orange lengthwise into wedges. Remove (and reserve) any seeds, and if you can, remove and reserve membranes. Take the wedges and cut each one of them so that you have a bunch of little triangles of orange.

Prep the apple:
Peel the apple, reserving the peel. Grate the apple with a cheese grater (large hole). Chop up the core and reserve.

Add the fruit to the pot Then prepare a cheesecloth bag for pectin:
Place the chopped rose hips, grated apple, and chopped orange into a large (8-quart) wide pot. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice to the pot. Add the water to the pot.

Take the apple core pieces, apple peel, and any orange seeds and membrane and place in a double layer of cheesecloth. (This will be a source of pectin.) Wrap them up and place in the pot with the chopped fruit and rose hips.

Boil until peels are very soft:
Bring mixture to a hard boil for 30 minutes or so, or until the orange peels are very soft and can be easily cut through without resistance.

Remove bag from heat. Remove the cheesecloth pectin bag and place in a bowl to cool. Once cool enough to handle easily, gently squeeze the cheesecloth pouch to extract more of the pectin (it will be sort of gloppy). Add the extracted pectin-y juice back into the pan with the rose hips.

Measure out the sugar and add to the rose hip mixture. Heat to high, stirring with a wooden spoon until the sugar has all dissolved. Add the butter (to help keep the foaming down). Bring to a rapid boil, uncovered. Reduce heat to medium high.

Boil for a few minutes longer if desired for a thicker jam. Or add some pectin powder. Do not overcook or the mixture will caramelize and give you an odd taste.

11. Chilli Jam

Ingredients:

• 3 medium red chillies, roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 large thumb-size pieces of fresh ginger (about 60g), roughly chopped
• 1 kg ripe tomatoes (about 8 medium tomatoes), halved
• 450 g demerara sugar
• 3 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 120 ml red wine vinegar

Instructions:

Put the chillies, garlic and ginger into the bowl of a food processor, then blitz until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and blitz until you have a smooth mixture. Transfer to a large saucepan over a medium heat.
Stir in the sugar, Thai fish sauce, balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar. Bring to the boil, stirring regularly. Reduce the heat. Keep at a steady simmer for 45 minutes or until the jam has reduced by half its volume. Stir every 5-10 minutes so the jam doesn’t catch and burn at the bottom of the pan.
Ready.

12. Blueberry Jam

Ingredients:

• 5 cups (1.25 litres) fresh blueberries
• 1 1/4 cups (310 ml) sugar
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice

Instructions:

Large heavy saucepan, put all ingredients in it. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes or until the jam thickens slightly. Skim carefully and stir frequently while cooking.

13. Mango Jam

Ingredients:
2 cups chopped Mango
3/4 - 1 cup Sugar
1 tbsp Lemon Juice

Instructions:
Peel and chop the mango.
Blend until smooth.
Take mango puree and sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Mix well.
Microwave uncovered, at full power for 4 minutes.
Mix in the lemon juice.
Microwave at full power for 6 minutes, stirring halfway. The jam will still look slightly loose when done, but it will firm up as it cools.
Let it cool completely. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

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About **Syl

Syl: "Life is a chain of challenges. Sometimes the largest challenges are we ourselves. Facing life, facing others and facing yourself requires either a worryless attitude or plain courage. Most of the time it is dealing with judgement. Maybe life is about getting rid of it."