The Preserver's Year

Chris25

There are several on this thread Eliza http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=81487 in fact, I think I've posted on this but only for microwave jam.

helyg

ELIZA_D wrote: »

i used one out of my slow cooker recipie book

seriously i am going to try a batch of jam then try the chutney thing after that (bought the onions and spices so will be using them )

anyone got a tried and tested jam recipie a no failure type !! The plums are now ripe and i have got pectin .x

I used this one for plum jam (in fact I use it for pretty much all jam) http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/11750/angelas-flexible-jam-recipe You don't need pectin, the plums should set by themselves.

Confuzzled

thriftlady wrote: »

Those big poppies were great for making dolls too. You turned them upside down so that the seed head became the head of the doll and the petals the skirt. Then you could scratch a face on the seed head with a pin, and stick a stalk through for arms. Now those are poisonous! So maybe that's what I'm thinking of.

speaking of poppies, our back garden has tons of the red corn poppies and i've been collecting the seed pods and shaking out the seeds into a spice jar, i checked, only the asian varieties are the kind that make opium, our native corn poppies are perfectly safe to eat the seeds and they have no narcotic effect :T

thriftlady_2

My kitchen has been full of fruity boilings today.

I have made 6lbs of spiced damson chutney, cooked another load of damsons to make hot and sour damson dipping sauce from The River Cottage Year plus some damson puree which I am going to have with yogurt for my breakfasts over the next few days.

I'm now very sticky, and covered in purple splodges.

thifty

bump bump bump

Janine2225

Well its been a few years but I've finally got back into jam making again. Did my first batch today of vanilla damson which made the house smell gorgeous.
Now have a nice long list of things to do over the next few weeks:
apple and elderberry
blackberry and sloe
apple and cinnamon
black and red currant
rosehip syrup
sloe gin
damson vodka
blackberry vodka
And will be doing rhubarb jam and vodka in the new year when we get the next crop. All of the above is using "free food" except the damson which my local market is selling quite cheaply.
The only problem I have is that I have never made jam with apples before. I know I dont want the pips/core/skin in my finished jam but aren't they the bits that release the pectin? I know I could do it as a jelly and strain the whole lot through muslin but I really wanted a jam. Can anyone help/advise on the best way to do it please?
TIA.

Seakay

You can either chop the apples in as they come and then sieve or mouli the cooked fruit (also good if you don't like blackberry pips)
or you can peel and core the apples, chop the flesh into the jam and put the peel and cores into a jelly bag (use a rubber glove to squeeze it out after cooking to get every drop of pectin out)

ellemm

Been lurking on this thread for a while now and have made some chutneys and lemon curd & orange curd.

Bought two and a half pounds of pears in Lidl today for 99p so have had a go at preserving them in a sugar syrup. Relatively easy (after all the peeling & coring!) and with a sliced lemon in the syrup as the recipe suggested, it tasted lovely. So have a nice big kilner jar of pears to join the other jars in the cupboard...............so what will I try next I wonder!!??

KittyCat

Yes- currently making Bramble Jelly in the microwave which saves time and fuel costs (recipies online).If crop outweighs time freeze in ready jam quantities or if in short supply interesting mixtures can be made...gooseberry and strawberry tastes like cherry!

NB If wanting a guaranteed set use Jam sugar which is NOT the same as Preserving sugar which is for Marmalade.:mad:

Courgette/marrow/squash and dried apricot or dried pineapple chutney is a delicious change and just as good as bought Mango Chutney.:T

Chris25

KittyCat wrote: »

NB If wanting a guaranteed set use Jam sugar which is NOT the same as Preserving sugar which is for Marmalade.:mad:

.

I always thought that Jam Sugar had extra pectin to help the set & Preserving Sugar has finer granules that dissolve more easily and make for a clearer preserve - but they are so similarly named, it can be confusing.

have some plum & ginger chutney on the go at the moment but the plums are much juicier than last year - have had to add more sugar so then added more garlic to counteract the sweetness. Just hoping for the best now :rolleyes: