can you make jam with honey?

Winsome_2

I don't think honey wouuld work for jam because it contains too much water and not enough sugar. Also honey has quite a strong flavour and might overpower a lot of fruits.

you might be able to add fruit puree to honey to make a sort of fruit flavoured honey (but it would need to be used up fairly quickly and maybe stored in the fridge?)

I don't use Jam sugar when I make jam - I just use normal suger and add lemonjuice to add extra pectin if necessary.

Lazy_Ike

hardpressed wrote: »

I think Silver Spoon Sugar is made from sugar beet, grown in this country and Tate & Lyle suger comes from sugar cane.

Silver Spoon Sugar was awarded the Little Red Tractor quality mark in 2006. However this does not necessarily mean it is a British product. Only if the Union flag is also present, along with the LRT mark does it mean the product is entirely of British origin. I don't have any Silver Spoon on hand to check.

Cane/beet sugar is sucrose, which is a combination of fructose and glucose in equal proportion (50/50). Honey is approximately 56% fructose, and 24% glucose, with 18% water, and 2% other (minerals pollen etc). So in theory I suppose jam could be made with honey. However as previously stated take into account the water content, and not sure if this ratio of fructose to sucrose will gel, and at what temperature.
One of the reasons to use white sugar is so that there is minimal, if any, taste imparted from the sugar to the jam. Honey, even if successful, will change the flavour of the jam.

bellsbells

I have learnt lots about sugar - thank you everyone! I quite like the idea of trying to make a honey fruity jammy concoction as winsome suggested. Any ideas what you reckon might be the best fruit to go with the taste of honey?

Penelope_Penguin

bellsbells wrote: »

I have learnt lots about sugar - thank you everyone! I quite like the idea of trying to make a honey fruity jammy concoction as winsome suggested. Any ideas what you reckon might be the best fruit to go with the taste of honey?

Marmalade might well work.

Have you tried making mead? I did it a few years ago when some friends had a hive (so free honey :T ) and it was delicious. Honey is now so expensive, I cvan't justify it any longer.

The friends destroyed the hive :eek: Shame really, as if they'd told me, I'd have been delighted to take it on.

Thanks you everyone, this has been a great sugar tutorial :A

Penny. x

thriftlady_2

This might fit the bill I've not tried it and it needs sugar as well as honey.

You need
apples -cookers or eaters
sugar
honey
cloves
dried ginger root
cinnamon sticks

Chop apples roughly and put in a large pan with a pint of water to each 2 lbs of fruit.

Simmer gently until the apples are very soft.

Tip into a jelly bag and allow to drip overnight.

Measure the resulting juice, pour into a large pan and to each pint add 12 oz sugar and 4 oz honey.

Put the spices in a piece of muslin (for each pint of juice add 3 cloves, a small bit of ginger and 2 inches of cinnamon stick). Tie the muslin up and attach to the pan handle with string so it dangles in the liquid.

Bring slowly to the boil and then boil fast to set. Test after 4 mins.

Remove spice bag and pot in warm, sterilised jars.

Apparently this is good on cinnamon toast or a tbsp stirred into a hot toddy.

From Quick and Easy Preserves by Simone Sekers

vixtress

Poet wrote: »

i just use 300g fruit, 300g jam sugar and 3 tablespoons lemon juice-just stick all the ingrediants in together and switch on

i have cooking apples that need eating, if i was to do apple and strawberry would i have to stew the apples first or just cut then small and put in. sorry if its a stupid question but its just with it not being a 'soft fruit'?]

thanks

moanymoany

I wanted to make raspberry and blackberry jam last week, but these are low in pectin. I didn't want to buy anything so I went and picked a pound of sloes that I stewed and pushed through a sieve. I added them to the other fruit and it set like a dream. It tastes lovely and looks beautiful.

Poet_2

vixtress wrote: »

i have cooking apples that need eating, if i was to do apple and strawberry would i have to stew the apples first or just cut then small and put in. sorry if its a stupid question but its just with it not being a 'soft fruit'?]

thanks

i assume you're going to use your b/maker? no, just slice or chop failry small and bung in, if using apple you'd probably get away with just using ordinary sugar as apple are high in pectin so you wouldn't need jam sugar. I've made strawberry, blackberry and plum jam with my B/maker so far and all have been delish. Never tried apples though, let me know how it turns out.

bellsbells

yum yum thriftlady - that sounds lovely. I have a load of cooking apples given to me by a neighbour that I was just going to stew and freeze, but this recipe sounds like a much better use for them. Thank you:T

thriftlady_2

Here's another recipe that uses honey and blackberries. It's called Isle of Wight pudding and it's from Jane Grigson's English Food.

It is shortcrust pastry made with 8 oz flour and 4 oz fat. Roll it into a rectangle and spread with 4 fl oz of warmed honey. Sprinkle over 8 oz blackberries (or other fruit). Roll up like a roly poly sealing the ends. Place in a buttered dish and pour over 4 fl oz of single cream. Bake for 45-60 mins at 200c/Gas mark 6

I haven't made it, but it sounds delicious.