Jam making help for first timer

Deedee73

Just thought I'd let you Jammers know, I have just made my first ever jam, DAMSON, It is beautiful, I can't believe how easy it was!

HopeElizzy

I'm glad you're all getting on ok.....sounds like there's been some good jamming going on.

:embarasse I thought I better report my disaster though. Stood for 2 hours stoning plums and started to make the jam last night. Got as far as the rolling boil and thought I could hear one of my kids crying upstairs. Yes, you guessed it, I forgot to turn the heat down on the jam before I went upstairs. :eek: I could have cried, my house smells like a smoke house this morning.........any idea how to get rid of the smell? I have every window open and I'm scrubbing the pan and kitchen.:(

anniebooklover

I have been reading this thread with some interest. My boss gave me 1 kg of plums that I put in the freezer until I could decide what to do with them. Now, I am thinking that I might have a bash at making plum jam.

Thing is, I am diabetic and I wondered if using fruit sugar instead of granulated or cane sugar would work??? Anyone tried this? Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

twink

my workmates dh is diabetic and she makes lovely strawberry jam with a powdered sweetener, cant remember its name, my dgs is diabetic and i read that jam, using ordinary sugar, is okay as you use very little at a time

twink

have remembered what sweetener was used, it was called splenda, they might have a website to look at

Jolaaled

HopeElizzy wrote:

I'm glad you're all getting on ok.....sounds like there's been some good jamming going on.

:embarasse I thought I better report my disaster though. Stood for 2 hours stoning plums and started to make the jam last night. Got as far as the rolling boil and thought I could hear one of my kids crying upstairs. Yes, you guessed it, I forgot to turn the heat down on the jam before I went upstairs. :eek: I could have cried, my house smells like a smoke house this morning.........any idea how to get rid of the smell? I have every window open and I'm scrubbing the pan and kitchen.:(

Poor you!! I do seem to fill our house fairly frequently, with smoke. The best cure i've found is to light as many candles as you can. These real flames seem to 'clean' the air..there is some scientific explanation that involves ozone, or something..not sure..but it certainly helps.

good luck!

evilwitch

Does anyone have any suggestions for sealing jars that doesn't involve the use of lids?

Have happened across some free raspberries and a bargin bag of jam sugar and wanted to have a go at jam making but me in full recycling mood have thrown away the lids and kept the jars reading to go to the bottle bank hence I have jars but no lids!

Any ideas? i have read about using a was sealing disc the cellophane and a rubber band. Does this work?

I can't freeze raspberries as there's no room in the freezer (already full of blackberries and apples) and we're not likely to get any lidded jars before the fruit goes mangy

Thanks for any help!

twink

yes the wax covers will be fine you can buy it in a packet called jam pot covers, if i run out i use greaseproof paper and cling film, put the wax cover on straight away but leave cellophane till the jam is cool

SoScrooge

evilwitch wrote:

Does anyone have any suggestions for sealing jars that doesn't involve the use of lids?

I made a few jars without screw on lids.

I sealed it with a layer of foil and then a piece of paper + rubber band.

I can't say how well it keeps - we eat our jam fairly fast.

My grandma used to cover her jars with just paper and a piece of string. It kept well for at least 6 month.

HTH

dannahaz

Hi! If you want some really easy step by step instructions, have a look at deliaonline.co.uk. Brilliant.

She really helped me get over my jammy nervousness a few years ago, and now I make tons of the stuff, all different varieties.

Hazel