Is making home made jam cost effective?

floyd

For me I do find that it is cost effective as I forage lots of the fruit and people are only too happy to give me windfall apples and pears that are only going to rot on their lawns or excess of vegetables from their allotments.

I make chutney, marmalade (but only in Jan/Feb) and jams/jellies. In 2012 I've probably made 50-60 jars of chutney, 10 raspberry jelly, 30 marmalade, 8 strawberry jam, 8 mixed berry jam, 18 bramble jelly, 6 sloe and apple jelly, 8 herb jellies, 8 lime pickle, 5 picallilli, 15 damson jelly, 5 pickled onions, 12 dill pickles, 1 batch mincemeat, 12 litres of sloe and damson gin, 4 litres of blackberry gin, 2 litres of wild plum gin. I also work full time 12 hour days 5 days a week so its something that you can find the time to do even in small amounts but you have to enjoy it, otherwise there's no point when it becomes a chore.

It also proves to be cost effective as we can 'pep' up what looks like a cheap lunch with lots of home made things that give it that artisan fancy look and taste. Picallilli in ham sandwiches, damson jelly and strong cheese on rye bread, real pickled onions with a ploughmans, dill pickles on the side with every sandwich. They really don't cost that much to make and keep for a very long time.

Over the last 3 years I have saved hundreds of pounds by giving people jam and chutney as well as damson and sloe gin as gifts. I'm very careful to only do it when people ask for it as I don't want to become that person that palms off their homemade stuff instead of buying gifts

aunty_lornieloo

i have been making my own jam for the last couple of years now and when i ran out a few weeks back i (shock horror!!!:eek:) had to buy some, i have to say it was HORRIBLE!! i was soon raiding the freezer and making time to make another batch (which was if course delish )

Gecko40_2

I made my first ever (small) batch of jam and it was incredibly easy....250g raspberries & 250g caster sugar, in separate bowls, pop in oven for 30mins and then remove and mix together and pop in a jar!! GORGEOUS!!!! I like to do simple things and this didn't involve thermometers etc, right up my street! HTH someone x x

purpleheather2810

No, I'm afraid you're all wrong - the best jam ever is my homemade gooseberry jam! :d

No OP, probably not cost effective but blimmin good all the same.

busiscoming2

floyd wrote: »

For me I do find that it is cost effective as I forage lots of the fruit and people are only too happy to give me windfall apples and pears that are only going to rot on their lawns or excess of vegetables from their allotments.

I make chutney, marmalade (but only in Jan/Feb) and jams/jellies. In 2012 I've probably made 50-60 jars of chutney, 10 raspberry jelly, 30 marmalade, 8 strawberry jam, 8 mixed berry jam, 18 bramble jelly, 6 sloe and apple jelly, 8 herb jellies, 8 lime pickle, 5 picallilli, 15 damson jelly, 5 pickled onions, 12 dill pickles, 1 batch mincemeat, 12 litres of sloe and damson gin, 4 litres of blackberry gin, 2 litres of wild plum gin. I also work full time 12 hour days 5 days a week so its something that you can find the time to do even in small amounts but you have to enjoy it, otherwise there's no point when it becomes a chore

It also proves to be cost effective as we can 'pep' up what looks like a cheap lunch with lots of home made things that give it that artisan fancy look and taste. Picallilli in ham sandwiches, damson jelly and strong cheese on rye bread, real pickled onions with a ploughmans, dill pickles on the side with every sandwich. They really don't cost that much to make and keep for a very long time.

Over the last 3 years I have saved hundreds of pounds by giving people jam and chutney as well as damson and sloe gin as gifts. I'm very careful to only do it when people ask for it as I don't want to become that person that palms off their homemade stuff instead of buying gifts

Do you find your recipes online? Do you have any recommendations?

katieowl_2

Get yourself a copy of the WI Preserves book... I'd go for a second hand copy of one of the older editions like this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/0900556838/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used

There are slightly more 'trendy' recipes in the more recent one: http://www.amazon.co.uk/WI-Book-Preserves-Carol-Tennant/dp/1847371779/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1357509761&sr=8-1

Both are very good. Well tried and tested recipes and lots of useful info.

Kate

aunty_lornieloo

Gecko, i dont do the thermometer thing either, i throw it all in the pot and wait till it comes to a rolling boil and then check the set with a saucer that has been in the freezer.
so far judging by eye has worked for me

floyd

busiscoming2 wrote: »

Do you find your recipes online? Do you have any recommendations?

I use Hugh FW Glutney chutney recipe most often as it can be adapted to use couirgette, pumpkin or marrow and tomatoes or plums. It makes about 10 jars of chutney but it has a superb flavour.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/aug/11/features.weekend

For marmalade I use Delias basic Seville orange marmalade recipe
http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/traditional-seville-orange-marmalade.html

For most of my jams, jellies and pickles I use Cottage Smallholder website, all of the recipes are fantastic

http://www.cottagesmallholder.com/category/recipes/jam-jelly-preserves/

I can also recommend this book for more unusual things and I've never had a dodgy recipe
http://www.amazon.co.uk/WI-Book-Preserves-Carol-Tennant/dp/1847371760

foxgloves

Agree that it's probably not all that cost effective but it depends on what ingredients you've got. In a moment of madness, I decided to make black cherry jam, which was deliecious, but the cherries cost me over £8 & I then had to buy pectin-enriched sugar to get it to set. It made nice presents though. On the other hand, when my pear or apple tree has had a glut, or I've accidentally grown a huge marrow, or have been foraging for blackberries, elderberries, etc, or someone has given me a box of fruit, then that's going to be more of a cost effective situation. I made some lime marmalade in November & tarted the jars up for Christmas presents. It was lovely marmalade, tasted 'top-end' of shop-bought, & because there seemed to be a lot of cheap citrus fruits around on the market, the limes cost me all of £1 the lot....then sugar from Aldi & I felt these were decent presents for not much of a cost, as I recycle nice jars all year round so don't have to buy these.

moments_of_sanity

Thank you to everyone who has commented, I will try jam making if I can find cheap enough equipment -we mostly eat strawberry jam but maybe this will widen our horizons a little! :rotfl: