Monday 19 September 2011

Jam Tomorrow





Hello everyone and thank you all for your lovely comments last week - it is so nice to read them!

And a big welcome to my new followers! I shall look forward to visiting you at your blogs - I do love a new blog!

I still haven't managed to do much blog visiting yet, as last week ended up being pretty busy again and we had internet problems for two days too, so I hope to make it up this week and get around to visiting you all.

But one of the things I did manage to achieve last week is to make Strawberry Jam!



As we are on the cusp of autumn, I had assumed that once more I had failed miserably in the summer jam making until a friend phoned and said lets go fruit picking, they still have plenty of strawberries for picking at a nearby fruit farm.




So off we went one warm morning last week, and managed to pick a trayful each of luscious sweet strawberries.



By the end of the next day they had been transformed into these!



As usual I still have to do the "pretty" stuff, making some more attractive labels and adding a cotton cover, but thats for this week as its looking a bit less busy.

Having not made strawberry jam for years (I usually make plum or blackberry for some reason ) I was a little nervous as I know with strawberry jam it can be difficult sometimes to achieve a set.  My friend Julie recommended this recipe of Nigella's, which I tried with great success and shall therfore share it with you as it is the easiest, most enjoyable to make, and above all most successful one I have used in a long while!

This is from "How to be a Domestic Goddess" baking and the art of comfort food by Nigella Lawson - the instructions have been embellished a little by yours truly to (hopefully!) help!


Do try this recipe if you havent already as it so good!


STRAWBERRY JAM

675g strawberries (buy 750g to allow for wasteage - I actually used 700g fruit)
750g preserving sugar (I just used granulated)
2 tblsps lemon juice (thats about the juice of 1 lemon)
1 tsp balsamic vinegar (I omited this as my family would turn their noses up!)
*
approx 4 x 200ml jars
Large pan (I used my large Le Creuset - was perfect for this)
Jam funnel, ladle and jam topper pack (wax discs etc)

***
Stick a saucer in the deep freeze.
Wipe and hull strawberries. Cut in half for more traditional textured jam or leave whole if preferred.
Put all ingredients into wide saucepan and stir with wooden spoon to ensure all fruit coated.
Put the pan on a low heat and, stirring every now and again, bring to the boil.
Let boil for 5 to 8 mins (should be a good rolling boil rising up the pan and frothing), depending on size of pan, and start testing for setting point from 4 mins, taking the pan off the heat whilst you do so.(To test- place a tsp of jam on the cold saucer, and push finger through when cooled - if it wrinkles its ready, if not re-boil for another few minutes and repeat until set)
When set reached, leave the pan to cool for 20 mins. ( Before cooling I skim off most of the froth and stir in a small knob of butter to disperse the rest )
Whilst cooling, sterilise the jam jars by 1/4 filling with water and microwaving on high for 10 mins.
Decant jam into jars ( I use a funnel and ladle ) and seal in the usual way (see note 1)


Believe me this is so yummy you will never ever want to buy shop bought jam again!!


Notes
note 1 ( UK tend to put wax discs on and cellphane tops with elastic bands as per instructions on packet - US do it differently I think with kilner jars?)

I made two batches, and the second batch I added another 200g each of jam and sugar - the beauty of this recipe is you can just scale it up depending on how much you want to make - just make sure to allow plenty of room in your pan for the jam to rise up as it boils.

I still used the same amount of lemon juice but obviously if you were increasing the fruit/sugar significantly you would need to add more lemon juice accordingly.


















I suspect the next preserving I shall be doing will be associated with tomatoes - the golden variety I grew have ripened well, and are a beautiful yellow and so sweet , but the large Oxheart tomatoes grown for cooking are plentiful but still mainly green - I have been picking them to ripen on the windowsill.



I have been picking loads of runner beans over the last few weeks so will have to start freezing them - have given many away and they have been keeping well in the fridge but they just keep coming faster than we can eat them!

Does anyone have any tips for freezing them??? I have heard that they freeze well without blanching - has anyone any experience of this? If so I would be very grateful to hear.




I got lucky at Homebase last week with cut price chrysanthemums reduced to £2 for a large pot, and wooden tubs half price at under £5 each.



Logan checking them out!


Have a great day everyone - it has been a beautiful sunny morning here in Kent, and Logan and I had an extra long walk this morning through the woods and round the orchards - I will try to rememeber to take the camera the next sunny morning as the red apples look so beautiful hanging off the laden trees with the bright blue sky in the background.






19 comments:

  1. Hello Gill:
    Gosh, your strawberry jam looks very good indeed and, we are certain, it will taste delicious. We have never made jam but a relative who did often bemoaned the fact that strawberry always seemed to be problematic with regard to setting so it was interesting to read that you have found that previously too.

    We do wonder whether you will have chance to make the pretty labels for the jam pots before the contents are well and truly gone?!!!

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  2. I can almost smell those strawberries here, your jam looks wonderful! Thanks for sharing your recipe.
    What a great bargain with the 'mums' too!
    Vivienne x

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  3. That looks so good and I doubt the principle of picking our own fruit will ever come to this part of the world!

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  4. Your jam looks absolutely delicious, but no lids is that right? I have a glut of jars but because they have no lids I assumed I couldn't use them? Now i know I can yippee

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  5. someday I want to tackle this....looks great!

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  6. The jam looks scrummy! And yes please do take your camera next time - nothing better than a photo of apples on a tree against a blue sky :)
    I had a lovely walk in the sunshine with Lottie the other day and let her off the lead for the first time - she loved it, and so did I, seeing her running free, then pelting back to me when I called!
    Jane x

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  7. Hi Gill,

    Your pots of jam look good! I didn't make any this year.....When I see your pots I do regret it a little.

    I can't help you with your question about the runner beans. Sorry! I hope one of the other bloggers will be able to give you some advise :-)

    Wish you a happy new week!

    Madelief x

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  8. Gosh that jam looks fab. I have visions of making jam when I'm back in the UK. We'll see... c.x

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  9. You just can't beat homemade jam and this looks lush!
    Loving your blog over here too!
    Just off to have a little rummage through your lovely posts..
    Xx

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  10. I can just imagine the taste of home made strawberry jam. Yum! The flowers were a great bargain and add a lovely touch of colour outside the front door. x

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  11. How lush all those berries look and I bet the jam is just delicius. I can smell hot buttered toast and jam now!
    Your steps look lovely and welcoming wwith those sunny yellow flowers.
    Lisa x

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  12. That jam looks so yummy. I tend to just make raspberry. I like the sound of balsamic in the jam, worth a try me thinks!

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  13. Those strawberries looked amazing, and the resulting jam is beautiful! It's looking like fall at your house- Logan seems to appreciate the flowers, too. What a steal on the chrysanthemums and wooden pots!

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  14. The strawberries and jam lookings a-m-a-z-i-n-g! And those yellow tomatoes look delicious as well. So nice, thanks for sharing!
    xo Susan

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  15. Your jam looks lovely Gill. I made strawberry jam for the first time this year - not from homegrown crops but a 5lb bargain from the local market. I did use jam sugar to ensure the set and it tastes fabulous!

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  16. Your jam looks delicious. There's plenty there for spreading on hot buttered toast or warm scones with a dollop of cream, yum. I've been freezing pounds and pounds of beans, they've done so well again this year, and there's more still coming. I always blanch mine first, I've never tried freezing them any other way. The chrysanths look lovely and cheerful, Logan's very impressed with them too, I can tell.

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  17. Hi Gill, your jam looks delicious, pop over with a jar and I'll make the scones!! If only! Your tomatoes look good too. It's a busy time with all this produce. Love Linda x

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  18. Your strawberry jam looks extremely delicious, I can just imagine the fragrant sweetness from here! There is nothing so perfect to spread on toast or scones is there? I look forward to seeing what yummy things you make next. Have a lovely week, enjoying your orchard walks in your lovely part of the world.
    Helen x

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Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to leave a comment - I love to read them!
Gill x