I am Curious, Jam-making...

Icemaiden

I've never used pectin either, like thriftlady I use jam sugar when a helping hand is needed or a good slug of lemon juice.

sairy2005

I always use redcurrant juice instead of water for strawberry jam. Boil the recurrants and strain. You dont need much any way and the jam sets a treat.

aurorahelios

odds-n-sods wrote: »

The only preservative in pectin that I have seen is ascorbic acid - vitamin c - and thats in the lemon juice you add.

The preservative I remember wasn't ascorbic acid, it was sulphur dioxide. Ascorbic acid is a natural preservative I'm well aware of that and it wouldn't have bothered me seeing that on the ingredient list.

This brand definitely uses preservative, they even admit it here

http://www.certo.co.uk/FAQ.htm#About%20Certo

aurorahelios

sairy2005 wrote: »

I always use redcurrant juice instead of water for strawberry jam. Boil the recurrants and strain. You dont need much any way and the jam sets a treat.

I like this idea, where do you get redcurrants from?

buxtonrabbitgreen

i dont use pectin becuase I usually so things like jam making on a whim, and if I have to drive 7 miles to buy pectin (not organized to have it in) I would probably go off the idea. Perhaps I should buy some.

thriftlady_2

aurorahelios wrote: »

I like this idea, where do you get redcurrants from?

Their season is over now (July), and they are expensive. It's really only an economical option if you have a free source of currants like a bush in your garden (lucky me:D ) or a friend or relative with them. You can often pick your own at fruit growers, but as I say you're a bit late this year. They freeze really well.

Farmshops often have freezers full of loose soft fruit -I've seen mixed currants in my local farmshop, but I'm not sure about redcurrants on their own.

thriftlady_2

I've dug this old post up -might be useful

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2692260&postcount=85