General Chat

Strawberries are a bugger to set. First time I would use jam sugar as it has pectin in, not preserving sugar as it is a con.

I have never got the hang of setting point, I think it is one of those things you need to see a few times before you can do it yourself. I boil the jam until I think it has reached saetting point, the deposits round the edge look like jam, and then leaveit to get cold. If it is jam then I warm it up and pot it. If it is still cordial I boil it up again and go through the same rigmarole.

hello everyone, well i won a few prizes at the show on friday but sadly not for my jam. there were a lot of jars and most of the entrants were dab hands i guess. however, i won 1st prize for decorated victoria sponge, scones, 3 sweet biscuits and my clootie dumpling. 3rd for my iced ginger cake.

i was delighted with all my prizes and next year will be trying the jam again and maybe marmalade.

thanks for all your recipes and tips, really helpful.
florence
in the hebrides :-)

Congratulations on your prizes!



Marmalade is a lengthy process ..... my version takes 2 days, as the peel and fruit are soaked, separately, in water overnight.


But it is much easier to get a good product than strawberry jam


Strawberry was the first jam I ever made, in 1988. Then I tried again in 1989 ............ never again!

Anyway, I much prefer raspberry, or especially Tayberry, jams


The easiest jam of all to make is Rhubarb and Ginger. Followed closely by Kiwifruit Jam


The important thing about marmalade is to let it stand for 10-20 minutes after setting point has been reached and you have taken it off the heat .......... otherwise the peel all rises to the surface and you have this thick layer at the top with a clear "jelly" below it!




I have NEVER used pectin or pectin sugar for any of my jams, jellies or marmalades.


I use only lemon juice as the setting agent ........... either real lemon juice or the bottled reconstituted stuff. Both work well.



OH now makes them all, while I supervise while sitting down ..... not that I always manage to stay sitting down!(ha ha!)



sylvia

Finding the setting point is quite easy. When gathering ingredients together place 2 saucers in freezer. When you want to check setting point remove pan from heat and drop a teaspn of jam on to cold saucer. Wait 2-3 minutes and push jam with finger - if it wrinkles it is ready to pot.

Chris, it is easy when you know how. I tried a few times but never quite found the happy medium between cordial and toffee. I have even driven the saucer to somebody who was a more experienced jam maker.

If I leave it on the stove long enough I live in hope that it will all be eaten before I have to fiddle about with pots.

Poor Sharron! Try my method - if it does not wrinkle put back on heat for 5 mins and try again.

I have tried it in the past but have worked out my own technique now and it works for me.

I have a big pan of red jam cooling on the stove that I made from some fruit the old man and his mate found on the side of the road. I think it might be bullaces but whatever they are they make cracking jam.

If it works for you don't fix it!

I wasted much too much jam trying to fix it.

This year I am labelling it and everything.