Preserves book

katholicos

ginvzt wrote: »

Is it this one you have by any chance? this one is by different author, so it could be different recipes...

I have that one too. There are some scrumptious looking recipes but i haven't dipped my toes in to jam, pickle or chutney making yet. Not that anyone would want to eat it if i did dip my toes in

Who knows...2009 might be the year i see fruit on sale cheap enough to make jam with!

katholicos

canidothis wrote: »

I had the same book for christmas and Ive already filled my diary with a month by month 'preserve to do list' I thought I might be considered a bit sad doing this but am sooooo pleased to see Im not the only one. :T

I'd love to read your month by 'month preserve to do' list if you would be willing to share it. I'm new to preserving and i never know where to start or if there is a certain time of year to be preserving whichsoever fruit. I have a jam, chutney, pickle book as shown in a picture in my previous post, but would be grateful for all the help i could get with preserving. Many thanks.

Gigervamp

When I made marmalade for the first time last year, the instructions I followed said to put 4 saucers into the freezer. When it's time to test the marmalade (after 20 mins boiling), get one of the saucers out and put a little bit of the marmalade on it. Tip the plate a bit and see if it runs. It's ready if just some *legs* dribble down, rather than the whole lot.

floyd

EagerLearner wrote: »

Hi all thanks for the tip - I never did get it to 'crinkle' - as far as I know I followed the recipe 100% but the only marmalade that turned out ok was the one that I left to cool at the bottom of the pan (leftovers).

If I do empty them all into the pan again to retry, do you have any tips on what I can do / not do this time around to avoid it happening again? ie: how long would I boil it for, what am I looking for, can I let it *all* cool down properly, then place into hot sterilised jars?

It sounds like it was very slightly undercooked as the stuff in the pan would have carried on cooking a little with the residual heat hence it setting and the other stuff not.
You can certainly put it back in and boil again, test on a cold saucer every 2 minutes if its this close to setting and remember to take the pan off the heat when you are testing.

Jams and marmalades will vary quite alot from recipe timings, primarily because fruit contains different amounts of juice depending on time of year, where it was grown, variety etc so its never fail-safe to follow the 'boil for x minutes before testing'
I found that out the hard way after making 12 jars of Delias lemon and lime marmalade that worked beautifully then another 4 ended up like toffee after only 5 minutes (she says it takes 15).

Marmalade benefits from cooling very slightly as the peel is less likely to sit in one clump if it is cooler. I wouldn't put cold jam into hot jars as it could encourage bacteria to grow as the jars cool hot jam in hot jars reduced the chance of cracking the glass and forms a nice tight vacuum as it cools down. Saying that, some people put cold jam in cold jars and never have any spoilage, I just follow the Womens Institute guidelines.

flossyblog

I have a link for relish, chutneys and jams
http://www.ustash.com/recipes/list/72
http://www.ustash.com/recipes/list/20

Aril

This one by Marguerite Patten

is reckoned to be a good one. I bought a copy for my Dad for Christmas. There are also some fabulous unusual recipes for jams and chutneys out there on the net. I should know...I also spent hours copying them into a notebook for his other present:D
Aril
PS Eagerlearner- if you can't get your jam to set it will make a lovely glaze for gammon and I'm sure you could try adding it to sponges and the like. Just in the spirit of waste not want not!

EagerLearner

Thanks Gingervamp and floyd - I did the 'crinkle' test before but will try the 'legs' method this time... :beer:

OK, so this weekend will tip them all back into the pot, bring to a boil, and test every 2 mins for 'legs' Hopefully by the time the jars are warm it will be time to tip the marmalade back in. I will take the opportunity to use smaller jars this time as the marmalade is quite zingy.

The stuff 'leftover' last time was fab and we've still got some in the fridge. :T

MrsE_2

I want some nice preserves recipes.

I want to make mango chutney & I like River Cottage style recipes.

I love this chilli Jam (wish I knew whose it was).

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1094894/Recipe-Sweet-chilli-jam.html

Preserves: River Cottage Handbook No.2 is on Amazon for £9.04.

Does it have a nice (not hot) sweet mango chutney recipe?

Nicifer_noonoo

I don't have this one, but the Superjam book has a lovely mango chutney recipe in it, and also a brilliant chilli jam. I love it

MrsE_2

Nicifer_noonoo wrote: »

I don't have this one, but the Superjam book has a lovely mango chutney recipe in it, and also a brilliant chilli jam. I love it

Amazon £6.66

Isn't that one (superjam) without extra sugar?