A question for jam makers

recovering_spendaholic

I like to make jam but unfortunately don't have any fruit bushes or trees so am reliant on getting reduced price fruit from shops, unless, like last week, I get some brambles for free. I usually manage to get whoopsied fruit but this year haven't been lucky. I wondered if it would be possible to make jelly using sugar free fruit juice like grape juice or apple and raspberry juice? Surely that would just be the same as making jelly in the traditional way but without straining the stewed fruit - or will it just be a disaster? There are some good offers on some nice fruit juices ATM. I also make marmalade with that Mamade concentrate which is usually lovely and I wondered if I could make it and then add in a bit of whisky to make it a bit special for Christmas gifts? If you can do that when do you add the whisky to the marmalade?

Sorry if my questions are a bit daft!

[Deleted User]

Sorry, can't help you on the jelly question but re the Marmade you can stir in "extra" ingredients like whisky just before bottling.

The best method I find is to put the marmalade into a (heatproof!) bowl just before you are ready to bottle and stir what you want into it, that way you can make a big pan of marmalade but add different ingredients to a few different jars.

I use this method for making ginger marmalade. I don't use as much of it as normal marmalade so I take enough from the pan for a couple of jars, put it in a bowl and stir in a tbsp of dried ginger then bottle.

You have to work quickly before it cools or it gets a bit stiff to pour into the jars.

Don't use this method for fresh ingredients (such as fresh ginger) as the pieces will go mouldy because they haven't been cooked in with the marmalade.

Barneysmom

I think it would be worth a try, let us know if it works ok?
I did used to make wine out of Just Juice years ago.........

Generali

recovering_spendaholic wrote: »

I like to make jam but unfortunately don't have any fruit bushes or trees so am reliant on getting reduced price fruit from shops, unless, like last week, I get some brambles for free. I usually manage to get whoopsied fruit but this year haven't been lucky. I wondered if it would be possible to make jelly using sugar free fruit juice like grape juice or apple and raspberry juice? Surely that would just be the same as making jelly in the traditional way but without straining the stewed fruit - or will it just be a disaster? There are some good offers on some nice fruit juices ATM. I also make marmalade with that Mamade concentrate which is usually lovely and I wondered if I could make it and then add in a bit of whisky to make it a bit special for Christmas gifts? If you can do that when do you add the whisky to the marmalade?

Sorry if my questions are a bit daft!

Apple juice might work as it has pectin in it to help the jam set. I don't know if there'd be enough fructose to stop the jam going off though. I suspect not.