The Preserver's Year

misskool

Thanks for all the plum tips all.

Made spiced plum jam, elderberry and plum jam, apple and blackberry jam and plum chutney today. Run out of jars now :rotfl: so will have to stop.

I don't like skins on plums so I skinned and stoned them, don't think I'll make that a habit for present jam.

ChocolateMonkey

I've recently found a tonne of Damson trees but was wondering if I pick them can I freeze them for future use? I'm going to try to attempt to make elderberry wine which i've heard is great I just need to find a dummies guide and find the equipment cheap.

Oh and this thread is brilliant, taken me two days to read it but it's definetly got my creative juices going.

mrssnowy_2

ChocolateMonkey,lucky you to find damsons.
They do freeze well,either as they are or stewed(without sugar)then destoned,but if you are going to use for jam put precooked weight on package-IYKWIM

mrss

ChocolateMonkey

Ooo stewing them is a good idea, dont know why I didnt consider that. I get what you mean about the jamming, say I weigh out 1lb and cook them down I just write that on the container for future?

floyd

I have a mixture of fruits and I'm not sure what to do with them as all the recipes I can find need lots of one type;

150g wild brambles (not quite ready in our area yet)
470g cultivated blackberries
200g raspberries

I'd like to make some bramble jelly, does anyone have a recipe that only uses 1 lb of berries or is there something I can make by mixing in the raspberries as well?
The other alternative is to freeze all of the brambles/blackberries until I can get some more, what does everyone think?

oliveoyl

Just adapt the recipe you want to use... if the recipe says 1k and you only have 500g then just half everything.

For most jam and jelly recipes the amount of fruit to sugar is about the same so you can mix the fruit as much as you want... just make sure you use the right weight of sugar for the weight of fruit you are using... of course some fruits need pectin to set and some don't so check recipes for that, or ask on here if you're not sure.

buxtonrabbitgreen

I found some damson trees in the park. I have made 7lbs of chutney this afternoon. It tastes lovely. But ohhhh picking all those stones out. It was easier with the jam.

Janine2225

Chris25 wrote: »

http://www.billingtons.co.uk/home/recipes/13/clemintine-marmalade says here you can use any citrus, just give them a good scrub.

The nicest marmalade I've ever made was clementine & coriander from an old Woman's Weekly/Woman & Home recipe - it tasted incredibly juicy & citrussy, it absolutely bursts with. I shall check whether I can find the recipe - I may have posted it on here a few years back.

Thanks Chris. I'm definitely going to have to give it a go. Not sure I'd use the coriander though.....not a huge fan personally.

Janine2225

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

I found some damson trees in the park. I have made 7lbs of chutney this afternoon. It tastes lovely. But ohhhh picking all those stones out. It was easier with the jam.

I was sooo hoping when I did my damson jam that they would fit into my cherry stoner but no such luck :mad: Takes forever!

oliveoyl

When making damson jam I throw the lot in and the stones float to the top along with a bit of froth so you can just skim them out. Would think you could do the same with chutney if you start it with just the fruit and vinegar, then add the other ingredients once you've got rid of the stones.