Jam making help for first timer

turkolina

ooooo fab.. Now i just have to dig my way to the garage so i can get them out of the freezer..

Turks..x

MrsE_2

I'm a fan of JO so naturally I looked for one of his first

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/strawberry-jam

And I found this from the WI:D

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article6846221.ece

Now what does the JO one use half the sugar of the WI one?

And why does the JO one use proper jam sugar & the WI one ordinary sugar?

I've never made jam before:o Can you tell:o

iamana1ias

Isn't it completely the wrong season for strawberry anything?

thriftlady_2

Well I would blend the two recipes. I'd use equal quantities of sugar and strawberries, but I'd use the sugar with pectin (jam sugar) as strawberries are very low in pectin which is needed for a good set. Lemon juice has pectin in but I find the jam sugar takes the worry out of the whole process.

I would also wait until June when English strawberries are available and of course much tastier than whatever imported ones are around now. You can get them even cheaper from a PYO farm and farm shops sometimes have tray of strawbs that are a bit mushy marked down especially for jam making;)

MrsE_2

thriftlady wrote: »

Well I would blend the two recipes. I'd use equal quantities of sugar and strawberries, but I'd use the sugar with pectin (jam sugar) as strawberries are very low in pectin which is needed for a good set. Lemon juice has pectin in but I find the jam sugar takes the worry out of the whole process.

I was thinking that (honestly) I just needed someone "in the know" to tell me it was a good idea:) Thank you.

I know its not the season, but I need strawberry jam & I wanted to make rather than buy ready made, so I bought imported strawberries.

ETA I will do another batch in June!

Penelope_Penguin

As this has fallen from the front page of OS, I'll add it to the existing jam thread to keep recipes together

Penny. x

MrsE_2

thriftlady wrote: »

Well I would blend the two recipes. I'd use equal quantities of sugar and strawberries, but I'd use the sugar with pectin (jam sugar) as strawberries are very low in pectin which is needed for a good set. Lemon juice has pectin in but I find the jam sugar takes the worry out of the whole process.

I would also wait until June when English strawberries are available and of course much tastier than whatever imported ones are around now. You can get them even cheaper from a PYO farm and farm shops sometimes have tray of strawbs that are a bit mushy marked down especially for jam making;)

Well its made & set well, too well really, I like the soft Bonne Maman set, this is more traditional.
Jamie was right to half the sugar, its far to sweet, I think half sugar to strawberries would have been better.
It was expensive to make, 2 packets of strawberries & half a bag of jam sugar (about £4.50) made one bog pot.

I love the Bonne Maman french style preserves, I will have to search more for that style of jam.

randm

MrsE wrote: »

I'm a fan of JO so naturally I looked for one of his first

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/fruit-recipes/strawberry-jam

And I found this from the WI:D

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/article6846221.ece

Now what does the JO one use half the sugar of the WI one?

And why does the JO one use proper jam sugar & the WI one ordinary sugar?

I've never made jam before:o Can you tell:o

I haven't read all the replies to this, but the jamie oliver one says it will keep for a week, whereas the other will last for years! I use a ratio of 2 parts sugar to 3 parts strawberries.That lasts fine, though is still very sweet.

gailey_2

I saw the jaime oliver one on jaimie at home on more 4 other month and quite confused.

He said add less sugar and keeps up to a year.

yet went on his website and says its more like a week

I realy want to start making jam as have lots of fresh local straberries and wild cherries in freezer but im confsed about which sugar and do you always have to add pectin or does it depend on the fruit.

I have a large saucepan
wooden spoonnormal sugar
lemons
fruit
old jars
saucer is that enough as tried to find jam sugar in lidls they dont sell it.

really keen to get started as once mastered getting nicer jars and making xmas presents.

mardatha

Is it possible to make jam with just one punnet of fruit ? And is it possible to use frozen berries ? I am desperate to try making jam