Apple, pear and peach jam?

yojibop

Hi all,

Hoping you moneysavers might be able to help. I have trawled through the boards and alot of google, but am really struggling to fing out if it would be ok to make apple, pear and peach jam?

I have some pears from my neighbours tree, yesterday I had my first ever attempt at chutney - pear and onion (which tasted very sweet when it was ready to be jarred although I understand that you're not supposed to like the taste until a few months in, so wondering if this came out wrong. I didn't really follow a recipe but it is definitely sweet not sour and set almost like a jam).

With the rest I have some pears and apples soaking in jam sugar, but have got some peaches I got at whoopsie, and was wondering if I could add them and what it would do to the flavour? I am hoping to give homemade jams and chutneys as gifts at Christmas with homemade bread as my Husband has been made redundant and until he finds work again we are on a tight budget so I am hoping to stretch it as far as I can, so any tips on what I can add that will keep the cost down but make it go further? I have some sultanas soaking in apple juice left over from the chutney yesterday, but not sure what to do with those either. I am really really enjoying home-made Christmas, and cant wait to start giving!

Any help would be much appreciated as I am a real beginner.

Thanks,

Joy.:j

daska

I think I would do a chutney with the apple, pear and sultanas and then freeze the peaches until a passionfruit turns up on whoopsie - watch out for the set though, there's a lot of pectin in apples. Don't discount veg in jams either. Beetroot, raspberry and vanilla was a real hit last year - all whoopsied.

yojibop

Hi Daska, thanks for your reply! Do you think the sultanas would taste ok in the jam and would it interfere wiith jam setting? I have only previously made 2 batches of strawberry jam, one of blackcurrant and then one plum and apple (only half a jar to use up some fruit).

This is all so new to me, but because I want to do them as Christmas gifts, I am hoping to be at least a little successful!! :T

I am hoping to re-introduce neighbourlyness to our street and would like to deliver some homemade packages of jam/chutney/home made bread on Christmas eve to my local neighbours.

What are the cheapes/nicest jams/chutneys that you have come up with?

I feel very excited at my new hobby and think I could probably spend all day every day chopping, peeling and boiling if my little ones let me! Haha. :rotfl:

daska

Sorry, have amended my post, I was thinking chutney with the apples and pears and sultanas. Peach makes a good chutney as well but (IMO) it's even better if you can team it with something.

Well done you on the strawberry jam, getting the set 'just right' can be tricky.

I came across another idea recently which might appeal to you. Making cakes in straight sided jam jars and sealing them with screw on lids straight out of the oven.

yojibop

Oooh that sounds interesting? So do you mean to use say a hexagonal jar, then add cake mix, cook and seal? Then assuming this would make a lovely gift to eat the cake from the jar?

Strawberry jam, the first batch I made was a tiny bit runnier than I would have liked, but still perfectly toast-suitable. (We have devoured the taste test jar and my Hubby is hinting and hitting the Christmas stock in the loft!!) The second batch I used 50:50 sugar and strawberries with some lemon juice and soaked the strawberries over night in the sugar. Seemed to do the trick because it set perfectly!!

Because I had made pear and onion chutney I was going to make apple and pear jam (although not sure that goes together as a jam 'flavour'?' Do you think that would be ok or would it be best to turn it into chutney. I am thinking about those (particularly our many friends with little children) who might enjoy jam more than chutney.

I have just had a cold meat and chutney sandwich with the chutney I made yesterday. I know that Delia says to leave her chutney 3 months or it will taste fowl but mine was delicious. I have 3 jars of that put away for Christmas too.

I am so excited about making things for people this Christmas - more than I ever was about buying things, and managed to get some wicker baskets for 10p each at a car boot sale which I am going to use to put the jams/chutneys in. :T

RAS

Hi

I think mixing peaches with pears and apples would taste a bit mixed up; cooked pear is quite a strong taste that would not work with peach IMO.

A lot of peach jam recipes seem to be american but they all include a lot of lemon juice in order get the set. You might want to use some apples instead of the lemon juice if they are tart enough.

Pears would work well with blackberries if you can find any to pick.

yojibop

Hi Ras,

Decided (after thankfully received advice) to stick with apple and pear. Which is done and I think tastes yummy. My Hubby who doesn't really like much jam other than strawberry says it tastes like the inside of apple pie but sweeter. Not sure if thats what I was going for, but does that sound about right?

My new problem is that the jars haven't popped - no idea why as I did everything the same as previous batches and they all went perfectly, so I don't know what to do as I am sure when they pop they are sealed for keeping. Will these jars be ok to give at Christmas? I don't want to give loved ones mouldy jam!! Haha.

Thanks for all your advice! x