Thursday 19 June 2014

Raspberry fridge jam.

Ingredients:

1.5kg raspberries 

750g jam sugar (with pectin)
Makes 6 x 340g jars

This is a great way to enjoy autumn raspberries during the winter months.
Pam teaches preserve-making at Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage and this is one of Hugh’s personal recipes.
He claims the secret of success is to pick the raspberries on a hot, dry day, aiming for a good mixture of ripe and almost-ripe fruit, then to make the jam immediately to capture the full flavour of the berries.
The light boiling and lower-than-normal quantity of sugar produce a loose, soft-set jam with a fresh, tangy flavour.
Low-sugar jams of this type are often called fridge jams. In fact, as long as it is capped when still above 90°C, this preserve will keep well in the store cupboard. However, once it is opened, you must keep it in the fridge (hence the name). It won’t last long after opening – maybe two or three weeks – but as it tastes so very, very good, this is unlikely to be a problem.
This light, soft jam is fantastic in cakes or sherry trifles or stirred into creamy rice puddings. Best of all, layer it with toasted oatmeal, cream, Drambuie and honey for a take on the traditional Scottish pudding, cranachan.

1. Pick over the raspberries carefully and discard any leaves or stalks. Put half the fruit into a preserving pan and use a potato masher to roughly crush it.
2. Add the remaining fruit and sugar. Stir over a low heat to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a rolling boil then boil for 4-5 mins. (If you prefer a firmer jam, then continue boiling at this stage for a further 2–3 mins). 

3. Remove from the heat, stirring to disperse any scum. It is important to pour and cap this low-sugar jam quickly, but you must allow it to cool just a little first (give it 5–6 mins) to prevent all those little raspberry pips rushing to the top of the jar.

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