The points that follow are important for they can make the difference between first-class preserves and those that are only average in taste and texture.
The jam section begins on page 17 and the various fruits are in alphabetical order, though with some variations under the main recipes. Conserves – which can be termed a luxury preserve, with large pieces of fruit or whole fruit – begin on page 57.
Jellies are not only ideal as a sweet preserve to use as a filling in cakes, tarts and pastries; many form excellent accompaniments to main dishes. These begin on page 68, where you will find important information to ensure the jellies are full of flavour and beautifully clear in colour.
Marmalade is an essential preserve at breakfast time. There are many types of marmalade from which to choose and the recipes begin on page 87.
Fruit butters and cheeses are not as well known as they should be, for they are delicious. The recipes begin on page 103.
USING HONEY OR SYRUP IN PRESERVES
It is possible to substitute a certain amount of honey or golden syrup (corn syrup) for the sugar in jams, conserves, marmalade and fruit cheeses. An indication is given in recipes where these ingredients enhance the flavour of the fruit. It is still wise to use 75% sugar and only 25% honey or syrup. Even so, the preserve will be a little less stiff than when all sugar is used. Honey or syrup also give a pleasant taste to many sweet pickles and chutneys. These ingredients are included in some recipes in those sections, which begin on pages 138 and 160. A little black treacle, or molasses, gives an interesting taste to some marmalades and chutneys, see page 99.
TESTING FOR PECTIN CONTENT
The various recipes in this book are planned to give exactly the right amount of pectin for each type of preserve. It must be appreciated, however, that a fruit can vary a little in its pectin content. For example, strawberries are usually low in pectin but if you pick the fruit when it is absolutely perfect, i.e. just ripe but not over-ripe, and make jam within an hour of picking, the pectin content will be higher than average and you could manage with less lemon juice (see page 51). The test given on this page will enable you to make your own checks. You may decide to make preserves with a mixture of fruits and therefore not know just how good the pectin content will be. There is a simple way to check this.
1. Cook the fruit until soft then remove from the heat. Spoon a little fruit from the preserving pan, and strain this to give 2 teaspoons of juice.
2. Place the juice in a container and leave until cold.
3. To the 2 teaspoons of`juice, add 6 teaspoons of methylated spirit, stir or shake gently and leave for a minute.
4. a) If the fruit contains a high percentage of pectin the mixture will form a clear jelly type lump. In this case no extra lemon juice need be added when making the preserve and ordinary sugar could be used.
b) If the fruit contains a medium amount of pectin the mixture will form several softer lumps. It would be advisable to add 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) lemon juice with each 450 g/1 lb (2 cups) sugar used to ensure a good setting preserve; or to use sugar containing extra pectin instead of ordinary sugar.
c) If the fruit contains a low amount of pectin virtually no firm lumps will form. In this case add 2 tablespoons (2½ tablespoons) lemon juice with each 450 g/1 1b (2 cups) sugar. If preferred, use the special sugar plus just 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) lemon juice to each 450 g/1 lb (2 cups) sugar. N.B. American measures are given in brackets.
USING COMMERCIAL PECTIN
It is possible to buy bottles of commercial pectin, which is a natural product based on apples. It helps all jams to set well but it also allows one to use a smaller proportion of fruit to the sugar content. This is extremely useful when fruit is scarce or very expensive. There is a selection of recipes provided with the product (trade name Certo) but an example is given on pages 55 to 56.
USING APPLE JUICE
Advice from the Diabetes UK recommends using unsweetened apple juice in some preserves. This adds natural sweetness and also helps the jam, or other preserve, to set. An example of a jam recipe using apple juice is on pags 130 to 131. Pure apple juice can be obtained from health food stores.
MICROWAVE OVENS FOR PRESERVES
It is possible to make many preserves in a microwave oven, although for small amounts only.
1. Always use a suitable bowl for the purpose, for when making jams or other preserves from start to finish in a microwave oven, the bowl has to withstand the contents being heated to the high temperatures required for setting point. Do not use a metal bowl. The bowl should never be more than half filled with the food.
2. The maximum weight of contents that should be cooked must not exceed 1.12 kg/2½ lb. This is the weight of the fruit plus the weight of the sugar for jams, conserves, etc., or the total weight of all ingredients when making chutneys. In jellies it is the weight of juice plus sugar.
3. Microwaving is less efficient than conventional cooking for softening citrus fruit peel for marmalade or dried fruit or fruits with tough skins, so it is better to choose conventional methods when making these preserves.
4. Use the proportions of fruit and sugar in the recipes in this book. When no water is used in the conventional method it is advisable to use 2 tablespoons (2½ tablespoons) to each 450 g/1 lb fruit in the microwave. In the recipes where more water than that is used, follow the recipe.
5. Cover the bowl in which the fruit is to be softened and use full power. Consult your manufacturer’s instruction book for timing to soften fruits but, since the quality of fruit varies considerably, check very carefully during cooking that it is not over-cooked.
6. When making chutney, take care to chop all ingredients very evenly in size so the cooking will be uniform.
7. Add the same amount of sugar, or sugar and lemon juice, as given in the recipe. Stir well until dissolved. Caster sugar gives the best result in microwave cooking since it dissolves more rapidly than any other. Sugar that contains pectin could be used where recommended in the recipe. If the sugar does not completely dissolve in the hot fruit, return the bowl to the microwave for a few seconds only, using full power, remove and stir again.
8. After the sugar has dissolved, return the bowl to the microwave. Do not cover it at this stage. Allow the contents to boil on full power until setting point is reached. Stir every minute during this time to ensure an even distribution of heat. Do not stir more often or you will delay setting point. When making chutney, cook until the desired consistency is reached.
9. Allow the bowl to stand in the microwave with the power switched off for 1 minute, until the contents have ceased bubbling in the bowl. Even so, be careful how you handle it; use protective gloves and take care not to place the bowl on a damp cloth or very damp surface when it comes out of the microwave, for the contents are still extremely hot and the bowl could crack.
10. Cover the preserve as given in the instructions, on page 19.
PRESSURE COOKERS FOR PRESERVES
A pressure cooker can be used for making some preserves. It is suitable for small amounts only and is better for fruits that normally take quite a time to become tender – e.g. whole or sliced oranges or other citrus fruits, damsons, rather hard gooseberries, dried fruits, etc. In a pressure cooker these are tenderised within a very short time. Strangely enough, the rapid cooking of the fruit under pressure does not harm the pectin content. It is not, however, as good for fruits, like raspberries, that soften within minutes in an ordinary preserving pan as they could become over-cooked.
Here are the essential points to remember when using a pressure cooker for making preserves:
1. The pan should never be more than half-filled with fruit and liquid.
2. Even if the recipe gives a smaller amount of water, it is advisable to use 150 ml/¼ pint (⅔ cup) water with the fruit. In recipes, such as marmalade, where a large amount of water is used – generally a minimum of 1.2 litres/2 pints (5 cups) – you can reduce this by half, due to the shorter cooking time.
3. Do not use the trivet – the fruit and water are placed in the pan, the lid fixed and the cooker brought up to pressure.
4. Modern pressure cookers have three rings on top. By using these you can adjust the pressure.
1 ring – minimum pressure (5 lb)
2 rings – medium pressure (10 lb)
3 rings – maximum pressure (15 lb)
5. I like to use 10 lb pressure for cooking most fruits for all jams, jellies, conserves and fruit preserves and for chutneys, and the following examples of timings are based on that. Some people, however, prefer to use 15 lb pressure, in which case deduct 1 minute from the cooking time given. Fruits vary in their tenderness, so if in doubt allow the pressure to drop and check the softness of the fruit, or other ingredients if making a chutney. If inadequately cooked, bring up to pressure once again and cook for a short time.
Here are some samples of cooking times:
Apple and Damson Jam (pages 21 to 22) 6 minutes at 10 lb pressure
Blackcurrant Jam (page 29) 3 minutes at 10 lb pressure if ripe; 4 minutes if very firm
Dried Apricot Jam (page 53) 10 minutes at 15 lb pressure
Lemon Marmalade (pages 93 to 94) 8 minutes at 10 lb pressure
Sweet Seville Orange Marmalade (page 98) 10 minutes at 10 lb pressure
Mango Chutney (pages 171 to 172) 6 minutes at 10 lb pressure
6. Always allow the pressure to drop at room temperature. Do not try to hurry this.
7. When the pressure has dropped, remove the lid, check the fruit and, if adequately softened, add the sugar, or sugar and lemon juice where recommended in the recipe.
8. Do not put the lid back on. Treat the pressure cooker as an ordinary preserving pan from this stage onwards. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then raise the heat and continue as the recipe.
USING FROZEN FRUIT
Often it is not possible to make the preserves when you pick or buy the fruit. This may happen with Seville oranges which have a very short season. It is therefore sensible to buy the fruit and freeze it. The Seville oranges, like any other fruits, will be perfectly satisfactory for making the preserves but during freezing a certain amount of the natural setting quality (pectin) is destroyed. To compensate for this either increase the amount of fruit by 10%, i.e. instead of 450 g/1 lb use nearly 500 g/1 lb 2 oz, or use double the amount of lemon juice in the recipe. If no lemon juice is given in the recipe when using fresh fruit, add 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) to each 450 g/1 lb (2 cups) of sugar.
USING CANNED FRUITS FOR PRESERVES
There may be occasions when a certain fresh fruit is not available and you must use canned fruit instead. If canned in syrup, you need to reduce the amount of sugar used with the fruit. If canned in natural juice, you should use the normal amount of sugar. In either case, increase the amount of lemon juice in the recipe. An example of this appears in Lychee Jam (see pages 40 to 41). Where no lemon juice is used in the recipe with fresh fruit add 1 tablespoon (1¼ tablespoons) to each 450 g/1 lb (2 cups) sugar.
LOWER SUGAR PRESERVES
Any of the recipes in this book for jam, conserves, jellies, marmalades or chutneys can be made with a lower amount of sugar. Although pectin and adequate boiling make the preserves set, the sugar is the preservative so it is a very important ingredient.
Preserves made with less sugar will not keep well unless special precautions are taken, but the flavour is excellent for you will have the true taste of the fruit, or other ingredients in the case of chutneys.
The sugar in any of the recipes can be reduced by half, i.e. where 450 g/1 lb (2 cups) sugar is given in the recipe use just 225 g/8 oz (1 cup).
If you make a very small batch of preserve, keep it in jars in the refrigerator and use within 3 to 4 weeks, especially after the jars are opened. If making larger batches, there are two ways to keep the preserves for a long period:
1. Freezing
Fill the jars to within 2.5 cm/1 inch of the top only. Cover, and when the preserve is absolutely cold place it in the freezer. The air space at the top of the jars is essential for the food expands during freezing. Instead of using jars, the preserve can be placed in suitable freezer containers for storage. Always make sure the container(s) used will not react with the vinegar in the chutney. Chutneys keep less well with freezing than jams, jellies and conserves, for their flavour needs to mature and that does not happen when frozen. Chutneys need to be stored at room temperature for the many flavours to mingle and mature.
2. Sterilizing
Use proper bottling jars. Make sure these are very well heated before filling them with the hot preserve. Put on the rubber bands and lids and then the screw bands. Loosen these bands by half a turn to allow for the expansion of the glass during sterilization.
Have ready a sterilizer or deep pan filled with boiling water. A proper sterilizer has a rack at the bottom of the pan on which to stand the jars. If using an ordinary saucepan, pad the base with a thick layer of cloth or paper to protect the glass jars.
Carefully lower the very hot jars into the water and allow this to come back to boiling. Boil briskly for 15 minutes. Remove the jars and tighten the bands. Next day check that the lids have sealed. If any have not, then the preserve in that jar must be eaten quickly or the sterilizing process repeated. The latter could spoil the flavour of the preserve for it would taste over-cooked. If you need to re-sterilize the preserve because the jars have not sealed, tip out of the containers into the preserving pan. Heat to boiling point, spoon the hot preserve into clean, heated bottling jars, cover with the lids and proceed as instructed above.
Why do jams and similar preserves form mould on top?
• The fruit was picked on a wet day and was damp.
• Too little sugar was used in making the preserve. As explained on page 9 if you reduce the sugar content you are losing some of the preservative and therefore mould could form unless the preserve is correctly stored.
• Too short a boiling time, so the completed preserve lacked the right proportion of sugar through too great a yield. Recipes detail the right yield.
• The preserve was stored in a damp place.
• The jars were inadequately covered (see page 19 – point 13).
• Too large an air space was left in the jars at the top of the preserve. The smaller the air space the less the possibility of mould forming (see page 19 – point 12 for details on filling jars).