Jam making help for first timer

billieboy_2

billieboy wrote: »

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 ?

Well I had a delve:D and found very few very small ones that didn't appear to be blighted (the little blighters!). Nowhere near enough to make a chutney but could add some to the next batch of marrow chutney. That's just reminded me, I must pull the plants out tonight.

saffouri

Well I gave up on the blackberries this year - whenever I tried some out, they seemed bitter or not very nice tasting. However, last weekend I took myself by train with my wheeled suitcase to a pick your own place (not very fun on the way home - the 40 min. walk to the train station uphill with a full case!) and amongst other things picked 11 pounds of raspberries, with visions of raspberry jam swimming in my head. Got home that evening, shattered and thinking to make the jam on the Sunday, but as the berries had already been shaken around in the case and oozed quite a lot of the juice (and they wouldn't fit in our fridge) went ahead and made the jam that night.

Very proud of myself, my first ever batch of homemade jam on my own. 22 jars of very tasty stuff!! :j We've made our way through the first one already but a lot of them will be Christmas presents. I used the recipe on the back of the jam sugar packet, used only 2/3 the amount of sugar they called for as the jam was already quite sweet. In hindsight, I probably should have boiled it for longer to have it set a bit more, but, at least it stays on the bread more or less as it is - 'yep, it counts as jam' proclaimed the DH.

Does anyone know how you can buy pectin on its own, to help it set without adding more sugar?

Cheers,

saf

billieboy_2

saffouri wrote: »

Well I gave up on the blackberries this year - whenever I tried some out, they seemed bitter or not very nice tasting. However, last weekend I took myself by train with my wheeled suitcase to a pick your own place (not very fun on the way home - the 40 min. walk to the train station uphill with a full case!) and amongst other things picked 11 pounds of raspberries, with visions of raspberry jam swimming in my head. Got home that evening, shattered and thinking to make the jam on the Sunday, but as the berries had already been shaken around in the case and oozed quite a lot of the juice (and they wouldn't fit in our fridge) went ahead and made the jam that night.

Very proud of myself, my first ever batch of homemade jam on my own. 22 jars of very tasty stuff!! :j We've made our way through the first one already but a lot of them will be Christmas presents. I used the recipe on the back of the jam sugar packet, used only 2/3 the amount of sugar they called for as the jam was already quite sweet. In hindsight, I probably should have boiled it for longer to have it set a bit more, but, at least it stays on the bread more or less as it is - 'yep, it counts as jam' proclaimed the DH.

Does anyone know how you can buy pectin on its own, to help it set without adding more sugar?

Cheers,

saf

Yes there is something in a bottle but I can't remember the name, something like Certon or Certin, or apparently you can use lemon juice as that has pectin in. Well done on all the jars of raspberry jam. I've never seen or picked raspberries. Still picking blackberries and making jam. Got three pounds yesterday:j . If I remember the name I'll post again.

billieboy_2

billieboy wrote: »

Yes there is something in a bottle but I can't remember the name, something like Certon or Certin, or apparently you can use lemon juice as that has pectin in. Well done on all the jars of raspberry jam. I've never seen or picked raspberries. Still picking blackberries and making jam. Got three pounds yesterday:j . If I remember the name I'll post again.

It's called Certo. Link here.

Penelope_Penguin

saffouri wrote: »

I used the recipe on the back of the jam sugar packet, used only 2/3 the amount of sugar they called for as the jam was already quite sweet.

Do be careful about its keeping qualities. I made some rhubarb jam for the first time (having been making other jams for 30 years ) and it was very sweet. For the next batch I reduced the sugar content by about 15%. When I opened the first jar, about 2 weeks later, there was mould starting :eek: Same with the next 2, so it's now all been frozen until I need it

Penny. x

Sunnyday

Hi all,

i can`t find a recipe for what i want to make so if anyone has any suggestions please reply.

My ingredients are

oranges
lemons
ginger
brandy

I want to make boozy marmalade

I`ve read that i need to put in no more than a tablespoon of brandy per pound of fruit and i have 3 lemons and a big bag of oranges.

I also have jam sugar and ordinary sugar, i have a small bottle of lemon juice too if needed.

Do i just put in half a pound of sugar per pound of fruit?
I would like to use some of the peel from the fruit in the marmalade too and the ginger that i have is fresh so i will probably grate it.

Can anyone suggest how i can make what i want from these ingredients please?

SD

saffouri

Cheers billieboy and penelopepenguin, guess I better keep an eye on the jars of jam in the cellar to make sure they don't go off.... What's a person to do then if they like jam that's not going to rot your teeth off?

More of a rhetorical question, that - not expecting an answer, though if anyone has one, they could do worse than posting it here

Will keep an eye out for the Certo as well.

saf

Scubabe

Help!!!
I made some Plum & Mulled Wine jam 2 weeks ago and it worked fine and set well.
I tried to make it again yesterday and this time it didn't set!!!
I kept boiling it for aaaaaaaaages, like 25 mins, and it just wouldn't get to setting point - I think I may have put too much Red Wine in and it might be a bit runny.....

Is there anything I can do to rescue it and make it set without changing the taste of it? I didn't want to just keep on pouring in sugar, but is that what I should have done? I did bottle it just in case it would set properly once cooled, but alas the jars I turned upside down today are sloshing

Or, if I can't fix it now, what can I do with 8 jars of runny jam?? I was thinking of making some icecream (vanilla icecream, add some runny jam & stir it in), but I wouldn't eat 8 jars worth of it

I am devastated, these were supposed to be Christmas presents

Ness

billieboy_2

The only thing I could think of that you could do with it is to use it as a cordial but you'd have to sterilise the bottles (with the liquid in) in boiling water (can't remember the exact method) to make it keep. I think alcohol is the problem because I remember reading somewhere that if you add too much toHM ice cream it won't freeze - maybe it's the same with jam . HTH.

Penelope_Penguin

Scubabe wrote: »

Help!!!
I made some Plum & Mulled Wine jam 2 weeks ago and it worked fine and set well.
I tried to make it again yesterday and this time it didn't set!!!
I kept boiling it for aaaaaaaaages, like 25 mins, and it just wouldn't get to setting point - I think I may have put too much Red Wine in and it might be a bit runny.....

Plum jam usually sets pretty well Have you tried adding some lemon juice This often assists setting.

Penny. x