jam making...

[Ellie23]

I make jam, we rarely buy any except for the 'exotic' ones like pineapple, and I've never used sugar with added pectin.

I use a sugar thermometer to check the temperature's about right and then spoon some of the jam, just about a teaspoonfull, onto a cold saucer and leave it for a few minutes. If it sets then the jam's ready and will keep.

You need a really big pan because when the mixture boils it takes up a lot more space.

I rinse out the jars and lids and put them into a warm oven, take them out when the jam's ready and stand them on a wooden chopping board, not onto a metal draining board because they could crack. Put the lids on when the jam's still hot and you'll get a good airtight seal.

There are loads of recipes online as well as in cookery books. The amount of sugar varies according to the fruit used. Blackcurrant is easy to get to set, strawberry less so and more fiddly to make because the fruit needs to stand overnight in sugar.

For marmalade you can buy tins of ready-to-use fruit called Mamade. It comes in different thickness of cut and also different citrus fruit blends so saves the hassle of preparing your own fruit, although I've found that my family don't mind too much if I shove the roughly chopped fruit into a food processor until it looks about right!

 

[davesgcr]

This thread would warm the cockles of a WI website.

Its dead easy - we make buckets of the stuff from blackberries and raspberrys from he bottom of the garden.

Its environmentally friendly in terms of using local material and recycling jars (fear not of the process of warming them in the oven) - and it makes a great personal gift to friends.(nicely presented with home made labels)

Plus the kids love to eat their own jam ...Kudos

Go for it .! ..but please dont tresspass onto railway banks to pick blackberries ......no matter how tempting .

 

[eme]

I think you will find the WI is national.

It is national but has no London representation... nearest one is Surrey and...

The Federation house has a large demonstration kitchen..

bet they wouldn't bat an eyelid at jam or sushi demos!

 

[eme]

There's an October S&B?

I just meant the colinette trip...

 

[Mrs Magpie]

It is national but has no London representation... nearest one is Surrey

Yup, that's what they told me when I tried to find a London branch and they explained to me that I should find a branch of the Townswomen's Guild which was the urban counterpart. They were obviously lying to me because tobyjug is always right.

 

[eme]

.... I should find a branch of the Townswomen's Guild which was the urban counterpart...

Ooooh no - not sure I like the sound of them - tea-bag folding?!!

A number of talented women have been trained as Craft Judges and can be booked through Townswomen. If you would like to learn a new craft, maybe try your hand at Silk Painting or Tea-bag folding...

 

[tobyjug]

Ooooh no - not sure I like the sound of them - tea-bag folding?!!

Like origami it is sod all use for self defence.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Just googled it...blimey!

It was created by a woman named Tiny van der Plaas, in Holland. According to the story, she was in need of a unique and decorative birthday card. As she sat thinking, she began absently folding a tea bag envelope that was on the table. Voila! Tea bag folding was born.

http://coffeetea.about.com/cs/whimsy/a/teabagfolding.htm

 

[innit]

Tiny van der Plaas, what a great name.

My mum makes jam from the raspberries that grow in her garden. We have also PYO'd plums in the past which made fabulous jam. I think Ruby is right that it would have to be an all-day session, preferably in a big kitchen, definitely sober I definitely think it's more fun if you've picked the fruit yourself, so maybe we could do a morning blackberry pick followed by an afternoon jam session.

It would be nice for the craft club to do something crafty which doesn't involve wool

 

[Ozric]

If your into making jam try this one, easy and tasty :

Tomatoe and Chilli Jam

Ingredients
500g very ripe tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 red chillies
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger root
30ml Fish Sauce
300g golden caster sugar
100ml red wine vinegar

Method
1. Dice half the quantity of tomatoes.

2. Blend the whole tomatoes in a food processor along with the garlic, chillies, ginger and fish sauce until the mixture reaches a pureé consistency.

2. Pour the mixture into a deep heavy-based pan together with the sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil and slowly stir.

3. Once the mixture has reached boiling point, reduce to a simmer and add the remaining diced tomatoes.

4. Skim off any scum that forms with a metal spoon and cook for 30 -40 minutes, stirring from time to time to prevent sticking.

5. Pour the mixture into a warmed sterilised jar. Seal while still warm and label the jars when cold. Alternatively pour on a glass serving dish and allow to cool before serving.

 

[eme]

I definitely think it's more fun if you've picked the fruit yourself, so maybe we could do a morning blackberry pick followed by an afternoon jam session.

Oooh I like that idea!

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Stobart has a huge field at the back of her place that's heaving with blackberries.....

 

[Callie]

I went blackberry picking today, didnt get loads cos I think a few other people have been picking in the same spot. It was fun - I think Ive gotten over my irrational fear of spiders - they were crawling over my feet I never knew you could get illuminous green spiders so it was quite an educational trip

I found a recipe for blackberry jelly...it needs 1Kg of blackberries though

http://www.waitrose.com/food_drink/recipes/stepbystep/blackberryjelly.asp

I would like to have a go at this as I was thinking of trying it myself, ooh and I have a sugar thermometer (not that we'd need it)

 

[Ellie23]

I found a recipe for blackberry jelly...it needs 1Kg of blackberries though

just keep to the same proportions, it says to use the same weight of sugar as fruit.

You need to lemon juice. I think they say it's about 2 tablespoons of juice for one lemon, I'm sure you could work out how much to use.

 

[innit]

Stobart has a huge field at the back of her place that's heaving with blackberries.....

That sounds good... I think gaijingirl was talking about picking blackberries on Wormwood Scrubs, as well, which might be a bit more accessible.

And we could always follow the jam session with an evening drinking session if we were feeling deprived

Callie - you can reduce the quantities as Ellie says, but it might be difficult if you've got a very small amount. Two suggestions - freeze the blackberries you have, and gradually pick more over the rest of the season and add them to your frozen stash, or look for a jam recipe which would bulk out the blackberries with some more accessible fruit, eg apples. (edit - you could ask Ruby for her blackberry, apple and banana recipe!)

I'd probably go for the second recommendation because my mum makes vast amounts of jam, but refuses to make jellies - she says they're too faffy. So if you're a beginner, jam might be a better place to start.

I wish mum would make jellies with me I'm dying for some crabapple jelly, and my dad has a great big crabapple tree at the bottom of his garden.

 

[billgates]

jam

the key to good set jam is pectin,which is higher in certain fruits than others,I usually add some apple peel which is high in pectin,rasps you need not bother as they contain plenty,strawbs contain very little pectin so it is worth having,also avoid using aluminium pan if possible, would also reccommend an unrefined sugar or molasses, a squirt of fresh lemon is good if the fruits are very ripe.

 

[billgates]

re jam

sorry, the pectin is the active natural setting agent

 

[beeboo]

Can anyone advise on how many jars of jam you'd expect to get from a 'batch' of jam? (I know that is probably a 'how long is a piece of string question - I've got about 1kg of blackberries to make jam with).

 

[Ozric]

Can anyone advise on how many jars of jam you'd expect to get from a 'batch' of jam? (I know that is probably a 'how long is a piece of string question - I've got about 1kg of blackberries to make jam with).

Saw this recipe for Raspberry jam with 1Kg of fruit and they reckon 4-6 jars:
Link

 

[Gavin Bl]

The Jars always confuse me

What can you use - old jam/pickle ones? Or do you have to get 'proper' ones for jam making? Do you need those bits of paper over the top?


Made some nice lollies the other day - excess liquor from a blackberry crumble (brown sugar and blackberries basically). tick v.g.

 

[Callie]

Thanks for the guidance re vast quantities of BBs needed - I have frozen the ones Ive collected so far. If I whimp out on the jam idea Im gonna save them until the apples in my mums garden are ripe and make a crumble/pie mmmmm

oh and Id love to try Ruby's BB, apple and banana jam - I had some once and it was lush <- lip smacking

 

[RubyToogood]

Oh it was just a standard BB and apple recipe, but with a banana in too because I was a bit short of the weight of blackberries. One banana only I reckon, two was too much.

 

[Pieface]

I'd be up for this - are the elderberries out by september? I luuuurve elderberry jelly.

What we doing? When?

 

[Callie]

Theres elderberries now although the woodpidgeons are eating a lot of them naughty birds! Im tempted to collect some elderberries, Ive got a few more BBs now - maybe I could make elderberry/BB jam?

 

[Ozric]

Yum elderberry stuffed pigeon

 

[Callie]

 

[gaijingirl]

This all sounds bloody great! I'm definitely up for picking, followed by making. Wormwood Scrubs is where my father-in-common-law picks his blackberries which he then turns into jams and pies along with the quinces in his garden.... he's a fantastic cook!! What sort of date are we looking at!

Also, the WI kitchen in Surrey (or was it the TWG kitchen somewhere closer?) definitely sounds like an interesting prospect for a sushi masterclass (or any other cooking related craft clubs!)...

 

[toggle]

I don't live that far away from wormwood scrubbs, short trip on the bus to west acton. or less than a 10 minute drive, parking at the scrubbs is a couple of quid, (i was up there yesterday for a hospital appt for my partner), but it's free at my place.

my kitchen isn't absolutely huge, but it is a pretty good size, room enough for quite a few people to have space to work in, plus others to stand about and watch. more if i clear crap off my surfaces.

i'm away for the last week of august, so first week in september is good for me.

 

[gaijingirl]

Sat 3rd, I was thinking about going to the Dulwich picnic.. but could be up for it on Sun 4th Sept... (also other w/ends in Sept)... don't know what weekends are being discussed....

Jam jam jam jam jam jam jam jam jam jam!!!

 

[beeboo]

Anyone know where you can buy jam jars?

I've got a few empty jars I could sterilise, but I'd like some nice ones so I could give the jam to friends - probably more attractive if its not in an empty mayo jar.