Cost of making home made jam

Actiongirl_2 · 5 August 2006 at 7:43PM

I went blackberrying today as there are lots of early ripe ones near us (huntingdon). Saw loads of sloes, damsons and some almost ripe plums - all wild and available for picking.

Try your local market at packing up time and see if they have any damaged fruit. This is ideal. Also, fruit that maybe isnt quite ripe or over-ripe can be used.

dolly_day_dream · 5 August 2006 at 7:53PM

I am making jam - well waiting to see if I have reached set yet - while reading this thread. I could not afford to make it using supermarket fruit but then I only buy supermarket fruit if it has been reduced. I am using strawberries that I bought for £1 a pound at the market and weighed with a generous hand cos when I weighed them I had 2 pounds 12 oz when I only asked for 2 pounds. I made raspberry jam earlier this week using fruit from pick your own. I did stop making home made jam for a while because it seemed to be more expensive but.... the taste just cannot compare, you know exactly what you are eating, and I don't know about you but I am thoroughly fed up of opening a jar of shop bought jam and then getting mould on the top of it. I can honestly say that has never happened with my homemade jam so it is more money saving cos I don't waste any of it.

Nicki · 5 August 2006 at 8:59PM

Jake'sGran wrote:

Have you tried Lemon Curd?. It is really really easy in a microwave. .

Could you post a recipie for this by any chance. I love good lemon curd but some shop ones can taste very artificial so I would love to have a bash at making my own. Thanks

Softstuff · 5 August 2006 at 9:27PM

Nicki wrote:

Could you post a recipie for this by any chance. I love good lemon curd but some shop ones can taste very artificial so I would love to have a bash at making my own. Thanks

I can't tell you about the microwave one, but I can give you the recipe for the one I made last night:
Take 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, 3 eggs and on a low heat over a double boiler whisk them till they thicken (takes about 10 mins), then take it from the heat, and before it cools whisk in the rind from 3 lemons (no pith) and 56g butter chopped into small pieces. Cover immediately and refridgerate, use within 2 weeks.

I managed to find a whole bag of lemons in tesco reduced to 10p... hence last night was lemon curd. If there had have been another bag I might have been drinking homemade lemon lime and bitters tonight... but oh well.:rolleyes:

mossstar · 5 August 2006 at 10:56PM

mmmmmmmmmmmm.... I love lemon curd! My recipe is very similar to softstuff's:

5-6 lemons
125g butter
2 cups sugar
4 free-range eggs

Beat the eggs briskly with a whisk and set aside. Grate the rind from all the lemons and set aside, then squeeze them and strain the juice. Set up a double boiler (I use a saucepan inside/on top of a bigger one filled with water) and inside it melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice, until sugar is dissolved. Then add the beaten eggs and lemon rind, stirring all the time. Adjust the heat of the double boiler so that the water is moderately bubbling, then cook the lemon curd, stirring well all the time) until it becomes quite thick. Pour into sterilised jars. (Makes about 2 large or 3 small jars)

I had to find something to do with all these:

I'm trying to work up the courage to make jam - i have a glut of oranges and grapefruits. I managed to get some gorgeous old preserving jars in an op sohp the other day that are all stamped and embossed (they'll look much nicer than the collection of lime pickle jars under my sink!).... it's just that something's stopping me - nerves? so silly!

Steph

V_Chic_Chick · 6 August 2006 at 12:14AM

Go to a pick your own farm, it's much cheaper, local and fresher! And also, during the long, boring summer holidays, it will keep the kids entertained.

thriftlady_2 · 6 August 2006 at 9:56AM

Yes, making your own jam can work out quite expensive.
I've made a dozen or so jars of raspberry and gooseberry this Summer.The gooseberries were free from my Mum, but I bought the rsapberries from the farmshop (didn't have time to pick my own) and 4 lb cost about £14:eek: So definitely not a saving.

However, I don't normally make jam out of summer fruits, I usually use my own blackberries, crab apples, quinces, or elderberries from the hedges or I buy crates of damsons from the farmshop. This makes the jam/jelly much cheaper of course. My ds1 loves raspberries so I'd been meaning to make raspberry jam for ages and I've now got a large supply, plus a few jars of strawberry (I bought a tray of strawbs- 11lb for a tenner, made some jam and pureed the rest for the freezer).

I think the basic jams you buy at the supermarket almost certainly have a lower fruit content than hm jam. Homemade will always be a better product;)

Farmshops often sell locally produced chutneys and jams for £3 a jar. You can easily produce a batch of chutney for much less and of an identical quality. Chutneys can be made of cheap ingredients like marrows,onions, carrots, and seasonal gluts of tomatoes and plums.

The best thing about making your own preserves is the sense of satisfaction you get when you line up your jars on the pantry shelf (I keep mine on shelves in the garage and get a kick out of them every time I walk past).They make great presents too and impress the socks off most people.

Love your lemons Mossstar........show off:D

I'm just jealous

mrs_mug_2 · 6 August 2006 at 10:02AM

My plan is to make jams, lemon curd and a pickle for Christmas presents (and for family use of course). So I've read this thread with interest. I'm not naturally good in the kitchen (read - beans on toast is as far as it goes) so this little project will be good for me on lots of levels.

Do I need any special equipment to get me going? I've got everyone saving jars for me and I've got a big pan that Mum had. How do I sterilise the jars? What else do I need? (apart from recipes, which I'm scouring the net for)

Thank you :j

thriftlady_2 · 6 August 2006 at 10:04AM

To sterilise jars Mrs Mug, you just need to wash them in hot soapy water, rinse and then put in the oven at 100 degrees c for at least 30 mins.

mrs_mug_2 · 6 August 2006 at 10:07AM

As easy as that? Fab, thank you Thriftlady

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Cost of making home made jam

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