Homemade Jam - Help please!

ChasingButterflies

Spurred on by the sucess of homemade ice cream I am now thinking of jam - I have some recipies however I was wondering if there were any experinced jam makers out there to tell me if ...

Are regular household pans ok to make the jam in? I have a huge stock pot and was thinking of using that.

None of the receipes I have found have told me that I need to know the temparature so no need for a thermometer

A pyrex dish with a sieve lined with muslin for straining.

The only things I think I need to "invest" in are a wide neck funnel and some storage jars.

Sorry these probably sound like random thoughts - just trying to improvise where possible!

I do have a breadmaker with a jam function - however the only recipie was for apricot jam and the kids are strawberry fans so I wasn't sure how to convert regular pan receipies for breadmaker - if needed.

Any other hints or tips would be much appreciated!

THIRZAH

It's best to make jam in a fairly solid pan-if the base is too thin the jam may burn.I do have a jam pan but if just making a small amount I use the pan part of my pressure cooker.

I don't use a thermometer. Just put a plate in the fridge while making the jam-you can test for a set by putting a little jam on the plate, putting it back in the fridge for a couple of minutes then pushing it with your finger-if it "wrinkles" you have a set.

You can do without a wide necked funnel. I use a ladle to scoop the jam into a pyrex jug then just pour into the jars.

I've never used my breadmaker for jam but if you can find a conventional recipe for apricot or strawberry jam you could compare them with your breadmaker recipes and see if they are the same-if they are then you could try other jam recipes.

The Good Housekeeping book has lots of jam recipes and they are reliable.

DawnW

You won't need special storage jars, just wash out empty jars and use them. If you don't have enough ask friends and neighbours to save them for you, or ask on Freecycle.

Pink.

Hi Chasingbutterflys,

Have a look at The Complete Jam, Chutney and other Preserves Collection as there are quite a few threads in there that should help.

Pink

mattogier

Use stainless steel pans NOT aluminium as, especially with the more acidic fruits, this can taint your produce.

Matt

Queen_Marge

Also when it comes to jam recipes remember 11lb fruit to 1lb sugar does NOT always work with ALL fruit. It depends upon the amount of pectin in the fruit.

If you can I heartily recommend finding a decent Margueritte Pattern cook book. I have an old one my Mum used in the 70s and it is full of excellent recipes, especially ones for jam.

rockie4

Don't fill the pan more than 2/3 full as the jam rises up the pan and will boil over - not nice to clean up!!!