Jam making help for first timer

Penelope_Penguin

dogstarheaven wrote: »

the plums which I gathered yesterday (one out of 2 trees with the thorny spikes on the big branches) were quite ripe, well most of them were too over. so with about a pound of them and some decent firmish ones from another tree, a pound's worth.. can these last for a few extra days or so in case I don't get round to using them today?

If they have thorns, they're possibly a relative of the sloe/blackthorn. They may be bullace. If that's the case, I'd use a damson jam recipe

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downshifter

I use a large saucepan, 2 cold saucers as someone else has said. Jam isn't precise - if it hasn't set properly after it has cooled in the jars, then tip it all back into the pan and boil it up a bit more. I don't use waxed circles as it always ends up that I'm the one that gets them on my toast - I believe if you keep it a long time they help stop it going mouldy. It gets eaten quickly in my house and kept int he fridge once opened. An old lady I know who makes jam for every church sale, every neighbour, every occasion really , never uses them and just screws the jars shut. I use recycled jam jars that I save. Others buy cheap supermarket jam and use those jars if nothing comes up on freecycle.

You can buy jam making packs, with wax circles, plastic covers and labels cheaply in stationery shops, wilkos etc. And yes, it is pretty simple, after all they were making jam and other preserves hundreds of years ago, before Lakeland was invented!

Good luck and have fun, it's wonderfully satisfying looking at your row of pretty jars!

DS

Penelope_Penguin

There's lots more you may find of help in jam making for first timer I'll merge this thread later to keepideas together.

lovelife_3

Good luck and have fun, it's wonderfully satisfying looking at your row of pretty jars!

DS[/QUOTE]

I totally agree, just go for it! It is my first year of making Jam, so far i have made strawberry, rasperry, wild plum and blackberry. They taste lovely and the jam making itself is so satisfying. The smell of cooking jam is heavenly, wish i'd started years ago, never realised it was so simple.

pws52

I have no special jam making equipment either and this year I have discovered that the funnel for filling the salt reservoir in the dish washer is perfect for filling jars. It even has hooks which fixes it firmly onto the rim of the jar.
I buy sugar from Poundland.

nuttyrockeress

Hiya

I am keen to start preserving - jams and chutneys.

I was given a £45 lakeland voucher for my birthday, what would you reccomend I spend it on for preserving purposes. I don't have anything I don't think so it's all new.

Thanks in advance

pws52

Nuttyrockess....when you say you don't have anything have you read what the posters above have said?
Have you got scales, large pan, jars and covers, spoon, fruit and sugar? That is all you need to make jam.
Have a go...home made jam is so good.

wssla00

I use my stock pot, a thermometer (purely by choice) and a funnel (as I have hands that don't do what I want to sometimes) other than that I just use normal sugar, no pectin (squeezy lemon juice if it needs it) and that's it. Oh and jars but if it's just for me and ive run out, I use a lock and lock plastic box and keep it in the fridge.

misskool

I've been making jam for three years and this year splashed out on a preserving pan (as my biggest pan was too small for the amount I grow now)

This is half price now (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kitchen-Craft-Maslin-Handle-Stainless/dp/B0000C0TFF/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=kitchen&qid=1284834049&sr=8-2)

But a pan, some sugar (don't need special jam sugar, can add boiled up apple cores or some lemon squeezed in) and some jars is all you need. Have fun!

nuttyrockeress

i have some scales and some jam jars/various sizes and 2 huge apple trees in the garden......

I would like to get a maslin pan with my vouchers but what else willl I need?