Sterilized jars with screw tops make ideal containers for jams and jellies.
Most of us buy our jams but nothing beats a homemade jam or jelly—and making them is fairly simple. Buy fruit and vegetables when they are plentiful, saving money and restoring a traditional delight to your table.
Although all fruit contains natural pectin, the trick for getting a jam or jelly to gel (set) lies in striking the proper balance between acids and pectin. Or, you can buy natural pectin and add it according to the package directions. Cleanliness is also critical when processing fruit. Even the tiniest bit of decay in the fruit can turn preserves moldy.
• In addition to a chopping board and knife, you need a set of scales for weighing, a preserving pan or large saucepan, a wooden spoon, a skimmer or slotted metal spoon, and glass jars with lids.
• Copper pans are excellent heat conductors but they react with acids, so a stainless steel pan is better.
• A wide jam funnel and ladle make it easier to pour jams and jellies into jars.
In principle, nearly all fruit are good for making jams and jellies. The higher the pectin content the quicker the set. For some fruit, you will need to add pectin in the form of lemon juice, another fruit or pectin concentrate.
• Apples, red currants and citrus fruits are high in pectin so they gel quickly. You can add plain granulated sugar when using them.
• Apricots, raspberries, black currants, plums, nectarines and peaches have a moderate amount of pectin, so a little lemon juice helps them to gel.
• Pineapples, pears, strawberries, rhubarb, cherries, marrows and grapes have a low pectin content. Add the juice of a lemon to these fruits, combine them with other fruit high in pectin or use jam-setting or preserving sugar containing pectin.
• A sugar thermometer is useful but not essential for judging the setting point of your jam. Jams and jellies will set at 217°F (103°C). Place the thermometer in a bowl of hot water before you use it so it reacts quickly.
The gel test
one Put 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of boiling fruit mixture on a plate you have cooled in the freezer.
two Let the sample cool down by placing it briefly in the fridge.
three If it congeals and no water forms around it, the jam or jelly is ready to put in jars. If you have a sugar thermometer, it should read 217°F (103°C).
Making jam is easy: Add one part jam-setting sugar (a mix of sugar, pectin and citric acid) to two parts fruit. Sterilize prewashed jars and lids in boiling water for 10 minutes; dry in a 212°F (100°C) oven.
1 Wash, clean and chop or crush the fruit, weigh it and put it in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan, so the contents won’t stick while cooking or boil over.
2 Simmer firmer fruit such as pineapple, pears and apples in a shallow pan with a little water until soft before crushing.
3 Stir in a little lemon juice to preserve the bright color of the fruit.
4 Add jam-setting sugar to the fruit, stir well and wait a few minutes while the fruit draw out some juice.
5 Bring the contents to a boil, stirring constantly. Make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan and burns. Adding a small pat of butter to the fruit mixture will help prevent it from boiling over.
6 Simmer the contents for 5–10 minutes, stirring constantly, and use a skimmer to scoop off the foam.
7 Do the gel test (see box, below). Depending on the result, either remove the pan from the burner or, if it is too runny, cook for a few more minutes and retest.
8 Pour jam immediately into hot, sterilized jars, wipe any spilled jam from the rim and seal them securely.
• Instead of fruit, use squash, pumpkins, carrots and tomatoes to make delicious jams and chutneys.
• Rich spices such as ginger, vanilla and cardamom can add a unique flavor to jams.
1 To obtain the juice necessary for a jelly, add cleaned, chopped fruit to a saucepan with a little jam-setting sugar to draw out the juice. No need to remove berry stems, apple cores or skins.
2 Bring the mixture to a boil and simmer until all the fruit floats to the top.
3 Pour the fruit mixture and its liquid into a very fine strainer and collect the juice in a bowl. Leave overnight. Don’t squeeze out the juice or the jelly will be cloudy.
4 Boil the juice with an equal amount of jam-setting sugar for 5–10 minutes: 1 cup (250 g) sugar to 1 cup (250 ml) juice.
5 After the gel test (see box, below), pour into hot, sterilized jars and seal.
• You can increase the amount of juice by returning the mixture to the pan after straining, covering it with water, simmering and straining it again.
• Fresh herbs such as mint or lemon balm can add a distinct flavor to jellies—especially apple jelly.
USE a strainer to remove TINY SEEDS AFTER DRAWING out the JUICE.
