I'm really chuffed with my cherry jam

mrsyallop

I've just picked some wild cherries today. Just wanted to ask as this the first time I've picked wild fruit, might there be maggots living in them? I bit in to an apple once with a maggot in and I have never been the same since :silenced:
thanks in advance.

buxtonrabbitgreen

mrsyallop wrote: »

I've just picked some wild cherries today. Just wanted to ask as this the first time I've picked wild fruit, might there be maggots living in them? I bit in to an apple once with a maggot in and I have never been the same since :silenced:
thanks in advance.

Now this might gross you out. But when I was picking the other day I felt somthing on my lip and picked it off, and it was a maggot. I have not found any others though. By the way you don't need pectin in the jam the lemon juice and rind do the job instead.

buxtonrabbitgreen

Seakay wrote: »

Well done! Isn't foraging great?! I am very envious of you for finding cherries, though; I have never found anything quite so exotic!

I found 2 eating apple trees on my bike ride (foraging trip) today. They are looking quite good. Do you know when they would be ready to pick? not scrupmping honestly

mrsyallop

buxtonrabbitgreen wrote: »

Now this might gross you out. But when I was picking the other day I felt somthing on my lip and picked it off, and it was a maggot. I have not found any others though.

Yuk!

I braved it and made cherry muffins. They are lush. My first muffin success.

buxtonrabbitgreen

Well done mrsyallop . Have you found, as I have that nearly all recipies including cherries seem to be for glace cherries? I have made cherry cake in the breadmaker that was very nice.

odds-n-sods

whether or not you need pectin depends on the fruit and how much it has naturally, lemon juice is in place of ascorbic acid to help keep the colour, not as a replacement for pectin. In strawberry jam, for example, If you dont' use pectin, you also have to use more electricity as you have to boil the jam a lot longer, losing flavour, colour and nutrients.

balmaiden

corny joke Re maggots in fruit

Q "Whats worse than finding a maggot in your apple when you take a bite?"

A "Finding half a one"

JillD_2

wow well done you!

I only ever made jamonce, was a total disaster. I couldn't decide when it had set so kept going far too long, whenit was in the jars and I went to use it a while after, it was like concrete :rotfl:
Never mind!

odds-n-sods

LOL, jilld - that's why its easier to use pectin, boil for 2 minutes, that's it!

RHYSDAD

Apologies if there is a recipe already for this but google wasn't much help. Does anyone have an idiot proof recipe and method for making cherry jam/conserve. Also, i have only jam jars to use but not any wax sealing papers. Does this matter because that's what's stopping me making any damson jam at the mo too!!

Kind regards, RD.