HELP!!!....fermented fruit jam??????

[Nicos]

Hmm..yup just wondering quite what to do!!!

I've defrosted 15lbs of last years blackberries and squeezed out the juice on Saturday. Thought I'd have time to make the jam yesterday - but we went out for lunch....and arrived home at bedtime!!!

So - this morning- all is ready to make the bramble jelly- until I looked at the bowl of juice ( about 7 pints)....it's fermenting and frothy on the top!!!

OK- so I'm just wondering If I remove the frothy top- do you think I can still make 'jam' with the rest..(.it was hours and hours of work to extract the juice - and I'd weep if I had to chuck it)
I know it will taste different- but the liquor tastes lovely.
...will the fermentation create storage problems- or will the fast boil sort that out????

(Nope- not got demijohns here to make it into wine- cos that's clearly what it wants to do!!)

Any advice peeps?????

[Polly Fouracre]

I'm very sorry to tell you to get the tissues out and pour it down the sink. You could add a suitable wine yeast and sugar and you may get a drinkable wine but I would be inclined to sigh, shrug and tell myself that this is a really good year for blackberries and in a few weeks time you can start again.
Someone else may suggest an alternative though!

[Flummery]

I'd just boil up the fruit. It will kill the yeast. Then taste it. If it tastes ok - make jam!

[Nicos]

OK...big breath in...I'm doing half a batch and seeing what it does!!!!...fingers crossed peeps!!!!

( *kicks herself for leaving about 12 demijohns in UK attic!!!*)

[Nicos]

Out of interest- if it's not OK for wine- can I ferment the wine in something else???
(...I know it's important to keep out the dreaded fruit fly)...ha ...I wonder what blackberry vinegar tastes like?????

[Flummery]

Try the other half as jam. Really.

[shirlthegirl43]

I don't see why not. I ferment wine in my big stock pot sometimes.

[SarzWix]

I've had juice start to ferment before I was ready to make jelly with it. I just boiled it up and made the jelly anyway It was absolutely fine, as Flum says, the hot boiling sugar is plenty hot enough to kill the yeast off.

[rustylady]

Should be fine. As the others have said, the boiling will kill off any yeast present.

[Polly Fouracre]

Do you think the resulting jam would taste "winey" though?

[SarzWix]

Mine didn't

[Hilary B]

well boiled, should be fine (as others have said). If you have a pot with a closeish fitting lid, you could ferment in that with a reasonable chance of success (not a metal pot), or if it does go vinegarry, it could make a wonderful basis for a salad dressing!

[Flummery]

Do you think the resulting jam would taste "winey" though?

It would have to be fermenting hard for several days I suspect.

PS - what's the problem with the taste of wine? I'm rather partial to it meself!

[Nicos]

Ha ...well....25 pots of jam later......

Yup ....it smelled of mulled wine whilst on the rolling boil...and then just became fruity!

Glad I did it after all...just hope it keeps OK.

Well- that was the end of last years crop...and now it looks like a bumper year which is just starting to ripen!!!

Interestingly the jams/compots out here are very different to English ones. It's probably something to do with the sugar????

I was given a fantastic pot of apricot jam ...with the kernels from inside the stones added..and some garden herbs...tastes yummy!!!
Also rhubarb and prune!!!Yum! ( and they think I've got weird tastes!!!!)

Thanks peeps- at least other peeps won't waste fermenting juice!

[HayleyB]

Sounds yummy wine tasting jam, absolutely divine