Jam making help for first timer

Valli

Just wanted to let you know (or boast, if I'm honest):rolleyes: that I have stewed blackberries and apple (natural pectin) straining as I type ready to be made into Bramble Jelly tomorrow.
My kitchen looks like murder has been committed there but smells fabulous!
Shame jam/jelly isn't on the Slimming World list (sigh). Blackberries picked today! Clearly, looking at the bushes, there are more to come.

billieboy_2

Valli wrote: »

Just wanted to let you know (or boast, if I'm honest):rolleyes: that I have stewed blackberries and apple (natural pectin) straining as I type ready to be made into Bramble Jelly tomorrow.
My kitchen looks like murder has been committed there but smells fabulous!
Shame jam/jelly isn't on the Slimming World list (sigh). Blackberries picked today! Clearly, looking at the bushes, there are more to come.

That's exactly what I was doing last night (as I put on the blackberry picking thread):rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: . This morning I couldn't sleep so got up at 6am and made the jelly (from the River Cottage Preserves book). I now have about six beautiful looking jars of blackberry and apple jelly:j . The blackberries were free but I had to buy the apples:o .

Valli

Well my free blackberries and free apples (thanks mum (her tree)) yielded 5 pints of strained juice which has made (with the addition of 5lbs of sugar) 10 and a half jars of luscious, fragrant Bramble Jelly. Financial layout - sugar! (Had lemon juice in fridge) Ingredients Blackberries, apples, sugar, water and lemon juice.

Steel_2

I make all sorts of jams from as many different fruits as I can lay my hands on, but the one that gets me every time is blackberry. It always looks so runny when it's done and even though I do the wrinkle test I still can't quite believe it so I end up over cooking it.

Some mornings, hubby has to give it a quick blast in the microwave to warm it up so he can get the knife in the jar.

billieboy_2

billieboy wrote: »

The latter - this is in case I get a bumper crop of tomatoes:D .

Well after all that, all my tomato plants that I lovingly grew from seed have what looks like tomato blight :eek: :eek: so won't be making anything! Had loads of tomatoes on them as well:mad: :mad:. Added to that my neighbour had about a dozen damsons from her trees this year. Not much I can do with them! My runner beans are still going strong though:D . Hope they don't catch the blight!

floyd

he b

billieboy wrote: »

Well after all that, all my tomato plants that I lovingly grew from seed have what looks like tomato blight :eek: :eek: so won't be making anything! Had loads of tomatoes on them as well:mad: :mad:. Added to that my neighbour had about a dozen damsons from her trees this year. Not much I can do with them! My runner beans are still going strong though:D . Hope they don't catch the blight!

Has the blight spread to the tomato fruits? If not you might be able to rescue enough to make green tomato chutney. I have read a few forums that recommend laying out the tomatoes in an open tray or basket and keeping an eye on them for a week to see if they blacken. If not they will be fine for chutney apparently

billieboy_2

floyd wrote: »

he b


Has the blight spread to the tomato fruits? If not you might be able to rescue enough to make green tomato chutney. I have read a few forums that recommend laying out the tomatoes in an open tray or basket and keeping an eye on them for a week to see if they blacken. If not they will be fine for chutney apparently

The ones that I looked at were affected (looked more like they were rotting than going black). Will have a delve about tonight and see if I can rescue some. A lot of the toms were really small, so is it worth picking them if they are not affected yet ?

floyd

Even the small ones can be used for chutney, this pic is from a blog where someone made it and there are weeny ones in there. The larger ones may ripen on a sunny windowsill but I would probably just lob them all into the pot because I love chutney

The likelihood is that even if they are not affected now, they will be if left on the plant for any length of time unless you treat with something like Dithane, not my thing though if they are for eating.

floyd

This is a good thread where people have discussed what they do to control it, hope it helps. I lost all of mine last year to blight in my first year of growing and got a bit disheartened with it this year

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/?p=366

billieboy_2

Right, I'll definitely get out there tonight with my colander and save what I can and then get rid of the plants and get on with chutney making. It's so sad that within a few days they can change from strong, healthy plants to horrible wilted things with black splodges. I suppose it's the bad weather we've had this year. Looks like my mum will fare better with her one plant that I gave her in April, which had about 20 toms on at the last count. But heigh ho, worse things happen at sea .