The Preserver's Year

Kaz2904

I didn't have a tightly fitting lid on my bucket for the elderflower champagne but I was ill when I did it (and in a tearing hurry). I left it in the bucket for 10 days as someone suggested to do that to reduce the risk of explosions. Next year I shall just follow the original recipe and bottle after 6 days, then loosen the lids every couple of days for about a fortnight. My first batch was delicious so I was so dissappointed.
We went and picked lots of redcurrants yesterday so I shall be making something with them later on. May pick the stalks out and do a proper jam this time.

gailey_2

After recent chutney sucess and elderflower champagne im dying to get stuck into jams.

been foraging and pick your own.

I have strawberries in freezer
cherries

im stockoiling and freezing first as want to make in one large batch but have 4important questions before i start.

found green gage wild plums loads can i wash and freeze until im ready to use them for jam.

which sugar im confused if I use jam sugar do I need pectin.
do I need pectin for all jams as read some fruits have high pectin in them.

ahh what too cook in brought 5litre stockpot 6.79 from ikea with lid will this be suitable for jams being doing chutney in large non stick saucepan with lid.worried jam might burn and ruin my lovley new pan , hoping it be up to the job.

right coillecting jars and have some lovoley coffee jars are they ok to store preseves as making lots for xmas plus own use need 100jars.

Those who make jams how many jars do you usually make as i want to make 80jars is this realistic as doing

strawberry
wild cherry
wild plum
blackberries

most of fruit is free you see.

Sorry so many questions just exited and maybe might be bit ambitous for jam 1st timer.

one last question how long jam last-hopefully least a year.

Patchwork_Quilt

Hi gailey. Jam should last at least a year. I opened some from 2007 last week and it was fine but it's better to plan to consume it sooner. I think 100 jars of jam seems quite a lot of hard work for a first timer. So far, I have made 8 marmalade, 6 rhubarb, 8 strawberry and 2 blackcurrant. Hopefully, I will make some blackberry jam in the autumn. However, we are still eating ours from last year so I've eased up a little for 2010.

As to pans, I think a heavy-bottomed pan is essential. I make big batches in my pressure cooker pan but tend to make a batch of 3-4 jars more often in a heavy non-stick pan that cleans out nicely afterwards. I find that doing it this way means that I can make jam whilst doing other jobs in the kitchen and cuts down the stress of standing over it to see if it has set etc.

I tend to use jam jars rather than coffee jars as they have lids that 'pop' and seal tightly when the jam cools. I ask friends to save jars for me in exchange for the occasional jar of chutney or whatever I am making at the time.

The other piece of equipment you might consider is a jam thermometer. Mine gets used for all sorts of things but it was useful for the marmalade as I never would have realised that it was not getting up to temperature.

Good luck. I started making jam about fifteen years ago and I can't seem to stop now. It's such a shame to waste all that free fruit!

Patchwork_Quilt

And now a recipe -

12 oz blackcurrants
1 lb sugar
knob of butter

Do not bother to top and tail the blackcurrants. Can leave some stalks on if too fiddly to remove. Simmer blackcurrants until soft in a little water. Press through a metal sieve into a measuring jug. Put the pulp back into the pan with half a pint of water and boil up again. Pass through the sieve once more and make the juice up to a pint. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add butter to prevent foaming. Heat slowly until boiling and then boil until setting is achieved.

gailey_2

Thanks patchwork quilt would that recipie work with other fruits too.
Am waiting until i got enough fruit to batch cook diffrenet flavours at one time.
I have between now and dec so will pace myself want enough for presents and years supply for us.

Purpleclutterbuck

I have yet to read through all the thread but it looks great!
Please, please can anyone help me with a foolproof (easy!) jam recipe for a fruit laden tree we have in the garden
After a few days of :think: I am certain that the tree is a cherry plum tree and tastes like a cross between a cherry and a plum and is delicious and sweet mmmmm.......most recipes seem to be 2lb of fruit and 2lb of granulated sugar and half pint of water -does this sound okay?

I also want to put the ripest fruit in an air tight jar with brandy and brown sugar but I do not know the ratios - does anyone have any ideas?
Sorry about this but I am new to preserving/jam making and feel a bit but I've got to start somewhere!!

craftlady

Made my first batch of elderflower champagne recently. Used this recipe http://www.wine-making-guides.com/elderflower_champ.html
It hasn't worked:( It hasn't gone fizzy and now has a bit of mould on top. Made it 2 weeks ago. Can it be rescued? Or do I just pour it down the sink? :(

Gigervamp

Did you sterilise all the equipment and bottles?

Looking at the recipe, it mentions not screwing the tops down on the bottles. I'm wondering if that's why it's not fizzy, as you do need to keep in some of the co2 that's produced as that's what makes the fizz. If you left the top of a coke bottle unscrewed for 2 weeks, it would also be flat.

When I make mine, I screw the tops on tightly, but then let some of the gas out a couple of times a day for a couple of weeks. This stops explosions but still keeps the fizz.

Patchwork_Quilt

gailey I am not sure about the recipe with other fruits. I just posted what worked with blackcurrants. When making jam, I usually use the same amount of sugar to fruit and the minimum of water to soften the fruit beforehand but this was jelly.

A really good book to help you is Food From Your Garden by the Reader's Digest. It has just been reprinted but the first edition is the best.

Purpleclutterbuck I am just learning to preserve in vodka/brandy and most recipes also say an equal amount of sugar to fruit and then cover with vodka but last year I did blackberry vodka with far less sugar in and it was delicious.

Whatever you decide, write down exactly what you did and then if you are not sure about the taste, you can try something different next time.

Kaz2904

DH just making another batch of strawberry jam. He managed to get 6 punnets for £1.80 last night (forgot the milk in his excitement and had to go back but that's another story!).
He likes a recipe so he's shouting through to me to find one. We don't use pectin for our jams (or jam sugar) so when the strawberry jam is opened, it gets put in the fridge (I'm sure DH only does that so nobody can find it ). My usual recipe for jam is 1lb sugar per 1pt of fruit after it's been cooked down a little in some water. We don't seem to have issues with that but do need to add some lemon juice to get it to set sometimes.

Does anyone have a tried and tested recipe for strawberry jam without pectin for next time DH wants a recipe. He wouldn't go with my usual recipe and managed to find one himself- I could only find american ones which seemed faffy!