First time making jam...what did I do wrong?!?

[northepaul]

We made jam yesterday (or day before (or rather wifey did)) with home grown fruit, the difference in mad. We've made it before with shop bought fruit, but there's just no comparision. Amazing.

Stop it Chris, your making my mouth water

[chris]

Well, what was in it were: alpine strawberries, pegasus strawberries, Lidl ones (oarsis or something?), glem ample rasberries, and a couple earli blu blueberries. The blueberries have made the jam quite dark, but wow ! Gives it a nice "zing!". Send me your address I'll send you a piece of toast with some on, can't guarantee it'll be warm by the time it gets to you though

[Ruth M C]

I've just looked out my late mother's (handwritten) recipe book and found the Marrow and Ginger Jam recipe;-
3lbs Marrow - weight after preparation
3lbs sugar (typically she doesn't state if it needs a setting agent or not)
2oz bruised root ginger
1 tablespoon citric acid or tartaric acid

Steam marrow cubes till tender
Place in basin and cover with sugar and leave overnight.
Next day place in pan. Add ginger tied in muslin and acid.
Cook slowly (1 hour) till morrow is transparent and syrupy thick.
Remove ginger just before setting point is reached.

From what I remember from my childhood this jam was a particular favourite with the family. Having bought a new maslin pan last week myself I'm looking forward to trying this recipe when I get enough marrows. I've already made red currant jelly and this morning boiled up all my white currants to make white currant jelly tomorrow; some of which will have mint leaves added to the jars for a different taste. So far I haven't had any burning or problems with my pan. Sorry to hear that you did. Do try again as making home preserves is great fun and most rewarding in the mid winter when the belief in summer time and fresh food is at it's lowest

[binley100]

I've just made blackberry Jam , first attempt at jam making. My book ( Marguerite Patten) says to simmer fruit first on a low heat to help release pectin , then stir in sugar till dissolved still on a low heat, then quickly bring to a rolling boil until setting point is reached. She also says once boiling do not stir too often as this brings the heat down
Couldn't use my sugar thermometer as remembered I'd used it for dying feathers so did the saucer test. I used jam sugar with the pectin added.

[susieq100]

A friend of mine makes jam regularly. She had a batch that refused to set so she used it as sweetener with stewed fruit for the freezer - she makes batches of this for puddings with yogurt, cream, ice cream etc. It made the stewed fruit LUVVERLY!! Her stewed fruit is a combination of damsons, grapes from polytunnel (not sweet enough to eat raw), blackberries, raspberries and whatever else is around.

[ladylottie]

I haven't made any jam for years but have a mountain of raspberries and still more coming (freezer is already full) so want to have a go at making some.

I haven't got a big jam pan, so can I use a big glass saucepan instead? Or would a metal casserole dish work better? I can't afford to buy a "proper" jam pan at the moment, and I might not want to make any more if it all turns out a disaster!

[jojo2910]

I made damson jam for the first time yesterday (first time ever, not just with damsons). I followed the recipe to the letter but it hasn't set and is very much like a conserve i.e. loose.

I only used granulated sugar rather than preserving sugar, as I thought Damsons were high in pectin. Would this made a difference?

[PAULW]

This was posted last year by BEANIE I found it very helpful

OK, I'll add my threepenn'orth here . . .
I'm not a jam maker, I tried jam once or twice using a thermometer, with not so good results. Then spotted a local company that does Jam Making courses (Real Jam and Chutney Co.) so booked myself on one.

And THEY said the following:
- DO use a proper jam pan, the heavy base prevents burning; the tall sides prevent the jam from boiling over; the wider top helps more water to evaporate, thus achieving a quicker set.
- At first, cook fruit slowly over a low heat.
- Then add the sugar, still over a low heat, & stir occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Wipe off the spoon - stir jam - then when the spoon's cool, check the back of the spoon with your finger - if it feels 'gritty' then the sugar's not dissolved.
- You don't need to use 'Jam sugar' or commercial pectin - Waste of money. They use normal granulated, & Lemon juice does the job of commercial pectin, even with low-pectin fruit like strawberries.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, turn up to high heat. DON'T stir at this point, as it will lower the temperature of the jam & setting point will take longer.
- at this point, put one or two small plates in the freezer.
- watch the bubbles in your jam: at first they will appear tiny & vigorous & very energetic. When they start to get bigger, more lethargic & 'gloopier', your jam is starting to reach it's set.
- when you think it's ready, test for a set - as someone has mentioned above, use the cold plate method, not a thermometer. Turn down the heat, put a teaspoonful of jam on the frozen plate, leave for four minutes in fridge, then push you finger through the blob of jam. If the surface wrinkles in front of your finger as you push it through, and the 'trail' through the jam doesn't close up again, then it's set. If not, put plate back in freezer & boil jam for a few minutes more, before testing again.

Simples!

They must know what they're talking about cos all their jam is made by 3 ladies in their homes, using recipies from the owner's grandmother. And their strawberry jam is to die for.

If you're anywhere near Winchester I can heartily recommend their courses!

[Hilary B]

The trick is to cook the fruit thoroughly before adding the sugar. Sugar inhibits the release of pectin from the fruit, so if you have a recipe that says add sugar at the beginning, you need jam sugar with the pectin included.
Lemon juice helps, acid triggers pectin.

[northepaul]

Made it again today....with success!
Following everyone's sage advice, I stewed the marrow for half an hour and then blended it down with a stick bender, I also added 200g of cooking apples (reducing the marrow to 800g) to the mixture. Then added the sugar and heated it until thoroughly dessolved. I boiled it under close oberservation (signs of burning) for 15 mins and did the saucer test.
After another 10 mins it was ready and I now have 4 jar fulls of marrow, apple and ginger jam

[Suky]

Well done, satisfying isn't it Picked 8kg of damsons yesterday, my first time with this fruit.

One tip I was taught by my Grandmother, warm the sugar first. I weigh it and spread it on a baking tray and pop it in with the warming jars in a warm oven. (not hot, you don't want caramel )

[northepaul]

Well done, satisfying isn't it Picked 8kg of damsons yesterday, my first time with this fruit.

One tip I was taught by my Grandmother, warm the sugar first. I weigh it and spread it on a baking tray and pop it in with the warming jars in a warm oven. (not hot, you don't want caramel )

8kg of damsons.....wonderful...(wishing my tree was bigger)

Thanks for the advice on the sugar, I have not heard of that before

[valmarg]

8kg of damsons.....wonderful...(wishing my tree was bigger)

Never mind damson jam, howse about damson gin?

Pierce the damsons with a fork, put in large coffee jars, add gin (the cheapest you can find in the supermarket). If using large coffee jars, fill up with gin roughly to the shoulders, add sugar until the jar is full. Turn the jars regularly until the sugar is dissolved, then store in a cool dark place until Christmas. Nectar.

If in doubt, it is better to add more sugar, it makes the end result more syrupy.

valmarg

[northepaul]

Never mind damson jam, howse about damson gin?

Pierce the damsons with a fork, put in large coffee jars, add gin (the cheapest you can find in the supermarket). If using large coffee jars, fill up with gin roughly to the shoulders, add sugar until the jar is full. Turn the jars regularly until the sugar is dissolved, then store in a cool dark place until Christmas. Nectar.

If in doubt, it is better to add more sugar, it makes the end result more syrupy.

valmarg

Thanks for that Val....all I need is some damsons now...!!