- The Physic Blogger: Pumpkin Jam Anyone?
Makes about 6-7 x 225g/8oz jars, 3-4 x 450g/1lb jars.
500g pumpkin or any firm, orange fleshed squash (prepared weight), peeled, deseeded & diced into 1cm cubes or grated
350g cooking apples (prepared weight), peeled, cored & diced into 1cm cubes or grated
30g fresh ginger, peeled & diced as tiny as possible or grate with fine microplane-type grater
1 chunk of crystallised stem ginger, finely grated as above (If you're really not a fan of ginger, leave these out.)
250g pumpkin purée (optional)
1/2 tsp ground ginger (or to taste)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
2 lemons, juiced
2 oranges, juiced
700g granulated sugar
250ml water
Place diced raw pumpkin, apples, gingers, cinnamon, lemon & orange juice, and water in a heavy bottomed pan, simmer gently until the pumpkin, ginger and apple chunks are tender, stirring occasionally.
Grating the pumpkin & apple will mean it cooks quicker but I like the chunky texture of diced.
Meanwhile, wash the jars in hot soapy water, rinse and sterilise in oven at 100C for 15-20 mins.
Add the pumpkin purée if using & stir in.
Then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. (It helps to warm the sugar in a very low oven first.)
Simmer until reduced, thick and gloopy, there's no need to test for setting point with this jam.
It's ready when a spoon pulled across the pan reveals the base.
Cool slightly then pour into the jars & seal with fresh lids or waxed paper discs & cellophane covers while still hot.
Store in a cool, dry place and use within a year.
Open opened, store in fridge and use within 4 weeks.
Showing posts with label Preserves. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Preserves. Show all posts
Saturday, 12 November 2016
Thursday, 27 October 2016
Blackberry, apple, rose geranium jam.
Makes approx. 1.2Kg (2 1/2 lbs) of jam
500g (1 lb) tart apples, bramleys or wild apples will do fine, peeled cored and roughly chopped
300ml (10 fl oz) water or apple juice
500g (1 lb) blackberries
juice of 1 lemon
750g (1 3/4 lbs)sugar
4 – 6 rose rose attar geranium leaves (optional)
Cook the apples with the water or apple juice until the fruit begins to break up and becomes soft.
Add the blackberries and lemon juice and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
If you prefer a seedless jam, allow the fruit to cool then run it through a food mill or push through a sieve and continue with pureed fruit.
Add the geranium leaves tied together in a bundle and the sugar to the fruit and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and leave for the flavours to macerate for several hours or overnight.
If you plan to can (water process) your jam, prepare the water bath and jars and place jar seals in a pan of hot water on the hob.
Using a preserving pan, bring everything to a rolling boil and maintain the heat until it reaches setting point and a blob of syrup readily forms a skin as it cools on a cold plate.
It only took me 5 minutes to reach a set with my jam.
Fish out the geranium leaves and discard them.
Pour the jam into hot sterilised jars and seal.
If you are canning your jam, process for 5 minutes then remove from the canner.
100 Jams, Jellies, Preserves & Pickles: Amazon.co.uk: Gloria Nicol: 9781907563614: Books
Blackberry/Ежевика!
500g (1 lb) tart apples, bramleys or wild apples will do fine, peeled cored and roughly chopped
300ml (10 fl oz) water or apple juice
500g (1 lb) blackberries
juice of 1 lemon
750g (1 3/4 lbs)sugar
4 – 6 rose rose attar geranium leaves (optional)
Cook the apples with the water or apple juice until the fruit begins to break up and becomes soft.
Add the blackberries and lemon juice and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
If you prefer a seedless jam, allow the fruit to cool then run it through a food mill or push through a sieve and continue with pureed fruit.
Add the geranium leaves tied together in a bundle and the sugar to the fruit and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and leave for the flavours to macerate for several hours or overnight.
If you plan to can (water process) your jam, prepare the water bath and jars and place jar seals in a pan of hot water on the hob.
Using a preserving pan, bring everything to a rolling boil and maintain the heat until it reaches setting point and a blob of syrup readily forms a skin as it cools on a cold plate.
It only took me 5 minutes to reach a set with my jam.
Fish out the geranium leaves and discard them.
Pour the jam into hot sterilised jars and seal.
If you are canning your jam, process for 5 minutes then remove from the canner.
100 Jams, Jellies, Preserves & Pickles: Amazon.co.uk: Gloria Nicol: 9781907563614: Books
Blackberry/Ежевика!
Sunday, 31 July 2016
Monday, 18 July 2016
Blueberry and rhubarb jam by Gloria Nicol.
Growing and making jam with blueberries | Life and style | The Guardian

Makes 1.25kg
600g rhubarb
300g blueberries
2 limes, the zest and juice
700g sugar
Wash rhubarb, top and tail then chop into evenly sized pieces (I usually run a knife down the middle of the stalks then chop into roughly 1cm sized pieces).
Place in a glass bowl and pour the sugar over the top.
Cover with a plate or cling film and leave overnight, by which time the sugar will have soaked up the juice from the rhubarb.
Place the grated lime zest and blueberries in a pan, adding 3 tblsp of lime juice.
Heat gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, until the berries are cooked and surrounded by juice.
Pour the rhubarb and sugar into a jam pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the blueberries and lime, turn up the heat and cook at a rolling boil until setting point is reached (a small dollop of the syrup on a cold plate will readily form a skin when left to cool slightly).
It took me 10 minutes to achieve this and I advise that you keep an eye on it and give the occasional stir whilst it cooks as the mixture is apt to burn if you're not careful.
Skim if necessary.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, put a circle of waxed paper on the surface of each one and seal.
This jam has a nice soft set that suits me fine.
If you prefer your jam to 'cut' rather than dollop substitute all or half of the sugar with preserving sugar that includes added pectin.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
600g rhubarb
300g blueberries
2 limes, the zest and juice
700g sugar
Wash rhubarb, top and tail then chop into evenly sized pieces (I usually run a knife down the middle of the stalks then chop into roughly 1cm sized pieces).
Place in a glass bowl and pour the sugar over the top.
Cover with a plate or cling film and leave overnight, by which time the sugar will have soaked up the juice from the rhubarb.
Place the grated lime zest and blueberries in a pan, adding 3 tblsp of lime juice.
Heat gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, until the berries are cooked and surrounded by juice.
Pour the rhubarb and sugar into a jam pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the blueberries and lime, turn up the heat and cook at a rolling boil until setting point is reached (a small dollop of the syrup on a cold plate will readily form a skin when left to cool slightly).
It took me 10 minutes to achieve this and I advise that you keep an eye on it and give the occasional stir whilst it cooks as the mixture is apt to burn if you're not careful.
Skim if necessary.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, put a circle of waxed paper on the surface of each one and seal.
This jam has a nice soft set that suits me fine.
If you prefer your jam to 'cut' rather than dollop substitute all or half of the sugar with preserving sugar that includes added pectin.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
- laundry etc:
- rhubarb-blueberry-lime-jam
- laundry etc:
- rhubarb-blueberry-lime-jam
Monday, 4 July 2016
No-Recipe Cherry Jam. By David Lebovitz.
No-Recipe Cherry Jam - David Lebovitz
Note:
- Using the handy cherry pitter, pit the cherries.
Make sure to remove all the pits.
- gently cooked Cherry till the skins had softened, which may take about 20 minutes.
Don’t add sugar till the skins are soft.
Add the sugar, heat it till sugar dissolved completely (stir), brought to a roiling boil about 7 minutes, don’t stir now as it stops the jam coming up to temperature quickly which is what you want.
Setting point for jam is 105C (220F) so a good way to test for setting point is to have a sugar thermometer clipped to the side of your saucepan, with the end dipped in the boiling jam mixture.
Test for a set by putting a teaspoon of jam on a cold saucer, turn off the boiling jam while you wait to see if it has set enough.
It should wrinkle slightly when you nudge the test spoonful once cooled.
If it hasn’t then turn the heat back up again and bring it up to temperature once more.
- the most commonly advised proportions are : 60 per cent sugar to 100 per cent fruit weight.
- add a tablespoon of lemon juice for each kilo of fruit.


The whole process:
- Pitting
- Cook the cherries about 20 minutes
- Add the zest and juice of one or two fresh lemons
- Measure out how many cherries you have (including the juice.)
Use 3/4 of the amount of sugar.
- Stir the sugar and the cherries in the pot and cook over moderate-to-high heat.
the best jam is cooked quickly.
- Once it’s done and gelled, add a bit of kirsch if you have it
- Ladle the warm jam into clean jars and cover.
Cool at room temperature, then put in the refrigerator where it will keep for several months.
You can also check for setting point using the "wrinkle" test.
Before cooking the jam put 3 or 4 small heatproof plates in the freezer.
Once your jam has boiled for several minutes, take the pan off the heat and carefully spoon a little jam onto one of the cold plates.
Let it stand for a minute then push the blob of jam with your finger, if the surface of the jam wrinkles then it has set, if it is still quite liquid then put the pan back on the heat and boil the jam for another 3 to 5 minutes before testing again.
Pectin can also be destroyed by extended boiling so make jam in a large saucepan (the fruit and sugar mixture should not come more than one third up the side of the pan) so that the mixture boil rapidly, and start testing for setting point fairly early.
More recipe:
- Chipotle Cherry Honey Jam
Note:
- Using the handy cherry pitter, pit the cherries.
Make sure to remove all the pits.
- gently cooked Cherry till the skins had softened, which may take about 20 minutes.
Don’t add sugar till the skins are soft.
Add the sugar, heat it till sugar dissolved completely (stir), brought to a roiling boil about 7 minutes, don’t stir now as it stops the jam coming up to temperature quickly which is what you want.
Setting point for jam is 105C (220F) so a good way to test for setting point is to have a sugar thermometer clipped to the side of your saucepan, with the end dipped in the boiling jam mixture.
Test for a set by putting a teaspoon of jam on a cold saucer, turn off the boiling jam while you wait to see if it has set enough.
It should wrinkle slightly when you nudge the test spoonful once cooled.
If it hasn’t then turn the heat back up again and bring it up to temperature once more.
- the most commonly advised proportions are : 60 per cent sugar to 100 per cent fruit weight.
- add a tablespoon of lemon juice for each kilo of fruit.
The whole process:
- Pitting
- Cook the cherries about 20 minutes
- Add the zest and juice of one or two fresh lemons
- Measure out how many cherries you have (including the juice.)
Use 3/4 of the amount of sugar.
- Stir the sugar and the cherries in the pot and cook over moderate-to-high heat.
the best jam is cooked quickly.
- Once it’s done and gelled, add a bit of kirsch if you have it
- Ladle the warm jam into clean jars and cover.
Cool at room temperature, then put in the refrigerator where it will keep for several months.
You can also check for setting point using the "wrinkle" test.
Before cooking the jam put 3 or 4 small heatproof plates in the freezer.
Once your jam has boiled for several minutes, take the pan off the heat and carefully spoon a little jam onto one of the cold plates.
Let it stand for a minute then push the blob of jam with your finger, if the surface of the jam wrinkles then it has set, if it is still quite liquid then put the pan back on the heat and boil the jam for another 3 to 5 minutes before testing again.
Pectin can also be destroyed by extended boiling so make jam in a large saucepan (the fruit and sugar mixture should not come more than one third up the side of the pan) so that the mixture boil rapidly, and start testing for setting point fairly early.
More recipe:
- Chipotle Cherry Honey Jam
Sunday, 3 July 2016
Plum Strawberry Jam. By David Lebovitz.
Plum Strawberry Jam recipe
Four jars – about 1 cup (250ml) each.
Sometimes smooth jam is preferred while other times, it’s nice to find lumps of fruit suspended in the jar.
For this jam, I kept the fruit a bit chunky, using an immersion blender to partially puree the fruits.
You can leave the fruits relatively chunky, or puree them until smooth. If using a traditional blender, I recommend cooling the fruit puree down to room temperature first.
Never fill the blender more than half full of with hot liquid as the steam can force the hot fruit out of the top. (Draping a kitchen towel over the top provides extra insurance.)
You can also use a food mill, food processor, or go low-tech with a potato masher for the fruit.
Some people like vanilla in their jam.
If you’re one of them, you could add half a vanilla bean, split lengthwise, to the fruit after it’s pureed.

I’m often asked if you can reduce sugar in jam.
Sugar is both a preserving agent and helps with jelling.
My jams use less sugar than the traditional 1:1 ratio.
If you want to use less sugar, it will be looser and won’t keep as long.
You can find recipes online for microwave or freezer jam that would fit that bill, including recipes that use alternative sweeteners.
I store my jams in the refrigerator and find they will keep for six months to one year.
If you want to can them, you can find information about doing that here.
I usually do the wrinkle test to check if the jam is done.
If using a candy thermometer, most jams set at between 218-220ºF (103-104ºC).

1 pound (450g) strawberries, hulled and quartered or sliced
4 cups (800g) plus 1/4 cup (60ml) sugar
2 pounds (900g) purple plums, pitted and cut into sixths
optional: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kirsch, or a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired
1. Toss the quartered or sliced berries in a Dutch oven or similar sized pot with 1/4 cup (50g) of the sugar.
Let marinate for a few hours, stirring every once in a while, or overnight.
2. Add the plums to the pot and cook over medium heat, covered, until the plums are cooked through.
Use an immersion blender to puree the berries and plums, leaving them chunky, if you wish.
3. Add the rest of the sugar (4 cups/800g) to the pot, and attach a candy thermometer to the side, if you wish.
Put a small plate in the freezer.
Cook the jam over medium-high heat, stirring in the sugar, until it dissolves.
Continue to cook, skimming any scum that rises to the surface during the first part of the cooking.
Stir it frequently with a silicone spatula or flat-bottom utensil (so you can scrape the bottom as you stir) until the jam has thickened and the jam sticks in a clump to the bottom of the spatula or utensil. (As shown in the post.)
3. When you think the jam is done (even if using a candy thermometer), test it by turning the heat off and putting a teaspoon-sized dab of the jam on the chilled plate and return it to the freezer for a few minutes.
When you nudge it with your finger, if it wrinkles or appears jelled, it’s done.
If not, continue cooking it a few more minutes, stirring frequently, then test it again.
When ready, add a bit of kirsch or lemon juice, if using, then ladle the jam into clean jars.
The jam should keep in the refrigerator for at least six months.
If you wish to preserve it longer, or at room temperature, I’ve linked to a food preservation website in the headnote before the recipe with canning instructions.

You can leave the fruits relatively chunky, or puree them until smooth.
Four jars – about 1 cup (250ml) each.
Sometimes smooth jam is preferred while other times, it’s nice to find lumps of fruit suspended in the jar.
For this jam, I kept the fruit a bit chunky, using an immersion blender to partially puree the fruits.
You can leave the fruits relatively chunky, or puree them until smooth. If using a traditional blender, I recommend cooling the fruit puree down to room temperature first.
Never fill the blender more than half full of with hot liquid as the steam can force the hot fruit out of the top. (Draping a kitchen towel over the top provides extra insurance.)
You can also use a food mill, food processor, or go low-tech with a potato masher for the fruit.
Some people like vanilla in their jam.
If you’re one of them, you could add half a vanilla bean, split lengthwise, to the fruit after it’s pureed.
I’m often asked if you can reduce sugar in jam.
Sugar is both a preserving agent and helps with jelling.
My jams use less sugar than the traditional 1:1 ratio.
If you want to use less sugar, it will be looser and won’t keep as long.
You can find recipes online for microwave or freezer jam that would fit that bill, including recipes that use alternative sweeteners.
I store my jams in the refrigerator and find they will keep for six months to one year.
If you want to can them, you can find information about doing that here.
I usually do the wrinkle test to check if the jam is done.
If using a candy thermometer, most jams set at between 218-220ºF (103-104ºC).
1 pound (450g) strawberries, hulled and quartered or sliced
4 cups (800g) plus 1/4 cup (60ml) sugar
2 pounds (900g) purple plums, pitted and cut into sixths
optional: 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kirsch, or a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired
1. Toss the quartered or sliced berries in a Dutch oven or similar sized pot with 1/4 cup (50g) of the sugar.
Let marinate for a few hours, stirring every once in a while, or overnight.
2. Add the plums to the pot and cook over medium heat, covered, until the plums are cooked through.
Use an immersion blender to puree the berries and plums, leaving them chunky, if you wish.
3. Add the rest of the sugar (4 cups/800g) to the pot, and attach a candy thermometer to the side, if you wish.
Put a small plate in the freezer.
Cook the jam over medium-high heat, stirring in the sugar, until it dissolves.
Continue to cook, skimming any scum that rises to the surface during the first part of the cooking.
Stir it frequently with a silicone spatula or flat-bottom utensil (so you can scrape the bottom as you stir) until the jam has thickened and the jam sticks in a clump to the bottom of the spatula or utensil. (As shown in the post.)
3. When you think the jam is done (even if using a candy thermometer), test it by turning the heat off and putting a teaspoon-sized dab of the jam on the chilled plate and return it to the freezer for a few minutes.
When you nudge it with your finger, if it wrinkles or appears jelled, it’s done.
If not, continue cooking it a few more minutes, stirring frequently, then test it again.
When ready, add a bit of kirsch or lemon juice, if using, then ladle the jam into clean jars.
The jam should keep in the refrigerator for at least six months.
If you wish to preserve it longer, or at room temperature, I’ve linked to a food preservation website in the headnote before the recipe with canning instructions.
You can leave the fruits relatively chunky, or puree them until smooth.
How to Make No-Cook Freezer Jam.
- Gallery: How to Make No-Cook Freezer Jam: Serious Eats | Serious Eats
1. Mash the ripest fruit you can find:
Not overripe, but sweet and full of flavor.
If there are a few bruises here and there, just trim them away.
Put the fruit in a saucepan—not because it’s going over any heat, but for the flat bottom surface that makes for easy crushing.
I like using a potato masher.
You can also pulse the fruit with an immersion blender or in a food processor, but take care not to over-process it.
If you’re going to experiment, start out with a small amount, about 2 cups of crushed fruit.
If you want to make a larger batch, double this.
When trying to figure out how much fruit you’ll need, use this rule of thumb: 400-500 gr of fruit without pits or 600-700 of fruit with pits will give you about 2 cups crushed fruit.
Add lemon juice (about a tablespoon per 2 cups of crushed fruit) to low acid fruit like peaches and apricots, both for flavor and to help the jam set.
2. Sugar or other sweetener.
For 2 cups of crushed fruit, use 1/2 to 1 cup of granulated sugar.
You can also use brown sugar and honey, but take into account their stronger and sweeter flavors.
Some varieties of no-cook freezer jam pectin, including Pomona’s Universal and Ball Instant Fruit Pectin, can also be used with other sweeteners such as Splenda or Stevia, just make sure you use the equal amount to sugar in sweetness, not in volume.
When using Pomona’s, mix the sugar with the fruit.
For Ball, combine the sugar with pectin powder first (for two cups of fresh fruit, you’ll need just half of the 1.59-ounce/45 gram packet) and then add it to the fruit.
3. Additional flavorings
Keep it simple.
The nice thing about freezer jams is their fresh taste.
This is where herbs like chopped basil or mint come in.
You can also add a pinch of grated fresh ginger or a dash of cinnamon.
4. Prepare the pectin
Pomona’s requires you to combine the pectin powder with hot water before adding it to the fruit.
For two cups of crushed fruit, use 3 fluid ounces/85ml of water and 1 ½ teaspoons Pomona’s pectin.
I like to use an immersion blender in this case.
Make sure the pectin is fully dissolved and well-blended.
5. Add pectin to fruit and stir well
Whatever kind of pectin you use, it’s important to blend it well into the fruit, so that you don’t get gummy lumps in your jam.
Pomona’s pectin comes with a packet of calcium powder.
Prepare it according to the instructions and add a teaspoon at a time of the calcium water.
Stick to the very low end of their recommended amounts if you don’t want a very firm jam.
The jam will continue to set a little more after stirring.
6. Fill clean, freezer-friendly containers
If you plan on freezing the jam, transfer it into clean, dry plastic freezer containers or wide-mouthed glass jars with straight sides (this shape resists cracking when frozen).
Leave about 1.2 cm of at the top and put on the lids, labeled and dated.
Let it set in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours.
Then you can freeze up to a year or keep refrigerating it, up to 2 weeks.
- How to Make No-Cook Freezer Jam | Serious Eats
- Strawberry Mint Freezer Jam Recipe | Serious Eats
- Plum Strawberry Jam recipe
1. Mash the ripest fruit you can find:
Not overripe, but sweet and full of flavor.
If there are a few bruises here and there, just trim them away.
Put the fruit in a saucepan—not because it’s going over any heat, but for the flat bottom surface that makes for easy crushing.
I like using a potato masher.
You can also pulse the fruit with an immersion blender or in a food processor, but take care not to over-process it.
If you’re going to experiment, start out with a small amount, about 2 cups of crushed fruit.
If you want to make a larger batch, double this.
When trying to figure out how much fruit you’ll need, use this rule of thumb: 400-500 gr of fruit without pits or 600-700 of fruit with pits will give you about 2 cups crushed fruit.
Add lemon juice (about a tablespoon per 2 cups of crushed fruit) to low acid fruit like peaches and apricots, both for flavor and to help the jam set.
2. Sugar or other sweetener.
For 2 cups of crushed fruit, use 1/2 to 1 cup of granulated sugar.
You can also use brown sugar and honey, but take into account their stronger and sweeter flavors.
Some varieties of no-cook freezer jam pectin, including Pomona’s Universal and Ball Instant Fruit Pectin, can also be used with other sweeteners such as Splenda or Stevia, just make sure you use the equal amount to sugar in sweetness, not in volume.
When using Pomona’s, mix the sugar with the fruit.
For Ball, combine the sugar with pectin powder first (for two cups of fresh fruit, you’ll need just half of the 1.59-ounce/45 gram packet) and then add it to the fruit.
3. Additional flavorings
Keep it simple.
The nice thing about freezer jams is their fresh taste.
This is where herbs like chopped basil or mint come in.
You can also add a pinch of grated fresh ginger or a dash of cinnamon.
4. Prepare the pectin
Pomona’s requires you to combine the pectin powder with hot water before adding it to the fruit.
For two cups of crushed fruit, use 3 fluid ounces/85ml of water and 1 ½ teaspoons Pomona’s pectin.
I like to use an immersion blender in this case.
Make sure the pectin is fully dissolved and well-blended.
5. Add pectin to fruit and stir well
Whatever kind of pectin you use, it’s important to blend it well into the fruit, so that you don’t get gummy lumps in your jam.
Pomona’s pectin comes with a packet of calcium powder.
Prepare it according to the instructions and add a teaspoon at a time of the calcium water.
Stick to the very low end of their recommended amounts if you don’t want a very firm jam.
The jam will continue to set a little more after stirring.
6. Fill clean, freezer-friendly containers
If you plan on freezing the jam, transfer it into clean, dry plastic freezer containers or wide-mouthed glass jars with straight sides (this shape resists cracking when frozen).
Leave about 1.2 cm of at the top and put on the lids, labeled and dated.
Let it set in the refrigerator overnight, up to 24 hours.
Then you can freeze up to a year or keep refrigerating it, up to 2 weeks.
- How to Make No-Cook Freezer Jam | Serious Eats
- Strawberry Mint Freezer Jam Recipe | Serious Eats
- Plum Strawberry Jam recipe
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Lemon Verbena Scented Strawberry Peach Conserves.
Lemon Verbena Scented Strawberry Peach Conserves Recipe on Food52
Serves 800ml
2 cups frais de bois, Marie de bois, or other woodland strawberry
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups frozen or fresh peaches, pureed - I prefer pinkish peaches
1 lemon, juiced
5 sprigs lemon verbena, six leaves set aside
In a large glass or ceramic bowl, hull the strawberries, leaving them whole.
Add the sugar, lemon verbena and lemon juice.
Macerate overnight in the refrigerator.
In a preserving pan or other deep pot that holds at least 4-5L, add the berries with the sugar, verbena and lemon juice.
Bring to a full rolling boil, then add the peach puree and bring back to a boil.
Stir constantly as the puree will want to stick and burn.
Bring the mixture up to 104°C. Stir. Stir. Stir.
Boil for 4 minutes at 104°C, skim any foam - there shouldn't be much - then remove the verbena stalks and funnel into sterilized jars.
Add two verbena leaves to each jar, and cover.
Serves 800ml
2 cups frais de bois, Marie de bois, or other woodland strawberry
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups frozen or fresh peaches, pureed - I prefer pinkish peaches
1 lemon, juiced
5 sprigs lemon verbena, six leaves set aside
In a large glass or ceramic bowl, hull the strawberries, leaving them whole.
Add the sugar, lemon verbena and lemon juice.
Macerate overnight in the refrigerator.
In a preserving pan or other deep pot that holds at least 4-5L, add the berries with the sugar, verbena and lemon juice.
Bring to a full rolling boil, then add the peach puree and bring back to a boil.
Stir constantly as the puree will want to stick and burn.
Bring the mixture up to 104°C. Stir. Stir. Stir.
Boil for 4 minutes at 104°C, skim any foam - there shouldn't be much - then remove the verbena stalks and funnel into sterilized jars.
Add two verbena leaves to each jar, and cover.
Sunday, 22 May 2016
Garlic & Sweet Pepper Confit.
Garlic & Sweet Pepper Confit. | Honest Fare
Confit ,comes from the French word confire which means literally "to preserve" - cooked slowly over a long period of time as a method of preservation.
You can throw in some sea salt and cracked peppercorns or red pepper flakes or even some fresh herbs to add some depth to your confit.
I did all of the above, as well as some sweet Italian peppers in this particular batch.
There are so many practical applications for garlic confit in the kitchen, so it’s nice to make a big batch to keep in the fridge so you can:
1. Impress your friends with a no-big-deal snack of velvety garlic confit and crackers, like so…
2. Use the flavored oil in your cooking.
3. Whip some confit into a salad dressing or some softened butter.
4. Be cute about it and jar some up as gifts.
5. Or drop a few cloves into a pasta dish or a frittata, like we did here…
Cook time: 30-40 mins.
Double recipe to increase batch size.
Keeps in fridge for a month.
Adding the Italian sweet peppers is optional.
Feel free to experiment by adding fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or basil or even dried herbs de Provence.
YOU NEED:
24 cloves of whole, peeled garlic
1 cup olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Red pepper flakes
Sprig or two of fresh rosemary, stem on
Splash of water
Several sweet Italian peppers
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C
Place garlic cloves, olive oil, splash of water, salt, pepper and herbs (if using) in an oven safe casserole dish.
Cover with lid or foil and bake for up to 40 mins or until garlic is nice and soft.
You’ll want the oil to reach a simmer, but not much more in order to avoid any browning, which will cause bitterness.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before transferring to storage container.
Remove stems, seeds and skin from Itailan peppers before serving.
OR:
- Onion and Red Pepper Confit Recipe on Food52
Confit ,comes from the French word confire which means literally "to preserve" - cooked slowly over a long period of time as a method of preservation.
You can throw in some sea salt and cracked peppercorns or red pepper flakes or even some fresh herbs to add some depth to your confit.
I did all of the above, as well as some sweet Italian peppers in this particular batch.
There are so many practical applications for garlic confit in the kitchen, so it’s nice to make a big batch to keep in the fridge so you can:
1. Impress your friends with a no-big-deal snack of velvety garlic confit and crackers, like so…
2. Use the flavored oil in your cooking.
3. Whip some confit into a salad dressing or some softened butter.
4. Be cute about it and jar some up as gifts.
5. Or drop a few cloves into a pasta dish or a frittata, like we did here…
Cook time: 30-40 mins.
Double recipe to increase batch size.
Keeps in fridge for a month.
Adding the Italian sweet peppers is optional.
Feel free to experiment by adding fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary or basil or even dried herbs de Provence.
YOU NEED:
24 cloves of whole, peeled garlic
1 cup olive oil
Cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Red pepper flakes
Sprig or two of fresh rosemary, stem on
Splash of water
Several sweet Italian peppers
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F/176°C
Place garlic cloves, olive oil, splash of water, salt, pepper and herbs (if using) in an oven safe casserole dish.
Cover with lid or foil and bake for up to 40 mins or until garlic is nice and soft.
You’ll want the oil to reach a simmer, but not much more in order to avoid any browning, which will cause bitterness.
Remove from oven and let cool completely before transferring to storage container.
Remove stems, seeds and skin from Itailan peppers before serving.
OR:
- Onion and Red Pepper Confit Recipe on Food52
Thursday, 11 February 2016
Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam.
Strawberries and rhubarb are the long-awaited first sign of spring fruit.
Because both are low in pectin, this recipe adds the peel and the flesh of oranges to give this bright-flavored, tangy jam the body it needs.
Set it out with cream scones, biscuits or crusty bread.




Ingredients:
2 oranges, preferably blood oranges
1 Kg rhubarb, cut into 1-2 cm chunks (about 6 cups)
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Cut the ends off each orange.
Cut the oranges in half crosswise and remove the seeds.
Place the orange halves in a food processor and process until roughly pureed.
Transfer to a nonreactive bowl.
Add the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar and toss gently to combine.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Have ready 7 hot, sterilized half-pint jars and their lids.
Place 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer.
Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a large nonreactive saucepan and add the lemon juice.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
To test if the jam is ready, put 1 tsp. of the jam on a chilled plate and place in the freezer for 2 minutes.
The jam is ready if it wrinkles when nudged gently with a finger.
If it doesn’t, continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, remove from the heat and test again on a clean chilled plate.
Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 6 millimetres of headspace.
Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary.
Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with the lids.
Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.
The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
If a seal has failed, store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Makes 7 half-pint jars.
From - williams-sonoma
Because both are low in pectin, this recipe adds the peel and the flesh of oranges to give this bright-flavored, tangy jam the body it needs.
Set it out with cream scones, biscuits or crusty bread.
Ingredients:
2 oranges, preferably blood oranges
1 Kg rhubarb, cut into 1-2 cm chunks (about 6 cups)
3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
4 cups sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
Cut the ends off each orange.
Cut the oranges in half crosswise and remove the seeds.
Place the orange halves in a food processor and process until roughly pureed.
Transfer to a nonreactive bowl.
Add the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar and toss gently to combine.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.
Have ready 7 hot, sterilized half-pint jars and their lids.
Place 2 or 3 small plates in the freezer.
Transfer the rhubarb mixture to a large nonreactive saucepan and add the lemon juice.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.
To test if the jam is ready, put 1 tsp. of the jam on a chilled plate and place in the freezer for 2 minutes.
The jam is ready if it wrinkles when nudged gently with a finger.
If it doesn’t, continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes more, remove from the heat and test again on a clean chilled plate.
Ladle the hot jam into the jars, leaving 6 millimetres of headspace.
Remove any air bubbles and adjust the headspace, if necessary.
Wipe the rims clean and seal tightly with the lids.
Process the jars in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes.
The sealed jars can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.
If a seal has failed, store the jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
Makes 7 half-pint jars.
From - williams-sonoma
Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Homemade Mixed Vegetable Chutney.
Chop chop chop chopping! Dice dice dice dice dicing!
And - Bob's your uncle!

1 kg courgettes (or zucchini)
1 hot pepper
2 bell pepper
Garlic 100 g (I usually 7 clove - this is not 100 g)
250 grams of Tomato Passata (tomato sauce) - 1 cup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons 9% vinegar (I used 3 tablespoons balsamic)
(Get 3 500 grams sterilised preserving jars)
Description:
An excellent alternative to the traditional ketchup.
We eat as a vegetable chutney.
Courgettes, hot peppers and sweet bell peppers, garlic - all peeled and cut into small cubes.
Pour the passata (tomato sauce) in a saucepan (preferably with a thick bottom) on a medium heat.
When the sauce comes to the boil, add the butter, sugar, salt and vinegar.
Then put the mixture of zucchini, peppers in a pan and stir once again and bring to a boil.
After boiling, low the heat - to a gentle bubbling simmer, cover with lid (leaving the lid ever so slightly ajar - allow some steam to escape) about 40 minutes, do not forget from time to time to stir.
Add the garlic 5 minutes before end off.
You can add smoked paprika to taste.
The acuteness of the chutney can vary depend of the amount of hot pepper and garlic.
So, chutney are ready.
Pour hot chutney into sterilized jars,
put sealed lids,
turn jars upside down and leave to cool under a warm blanket for about 1 day until cool.
Store in refrigerator.


And - Bob's your uncle!
1 kg courgettes (or zucchini)
1 hot pepper
2 bell pepper
Garlic 100 g (I usually 7 clove - this is not 100 g)
250 grams of Tomato Passata (tomato sauce) - 1 cup
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons 9% vinegar (I used 3 tablespoons balsamic)
(Get 3 500 grams sterilised preserving jars)
Description:
An excellent alternative to the traditional ketchup.
We eat as a vegetable chutney.
Courgettes, hot peppers and sweet bell peppers, garlic - all peeled and cut into small cubes.
Pour the passata (tomato sauce) in a saucepan (preferably with a thick bottom) on a medium heat.
When the sauce comes to the boil, add the butter, sugar, salt and vinegar.
Then put the mixture of zucchini, peppers in a pan and stir once again and bring to a boil.
After boiling, low the heat - to a gentle bubbling simmer, cover with lid (leaving the lid ever so slightly ajar - allow some steam to escape) about 40 minutes, do not forget from time to time to stir.
Add the garlic 5 minutes before end off.
You can add smoked paprika to taste.
The acuteness of the chutney can vary depend of the amount of hot pepper and garlic.
So, chutney are ready.
Pour hot chutney into sterilized jars,
put sealed lids,
turn jars upside down and leave to cool under a warm blanket for about 1 day until cool.
Store in refrigerator.


Monday, 8 February 2016
Watermelon Rind Jam.
Olia Hercules' Watermelon Rind Jam Recipe on Food52
Olia Hercules’ Watermelon Rind Jam
Slightly adapted from Mamushka
Makes two 450-milliliter jars
- 500 grams watermelon skin, tough thin green rind peeled and discarded, white skin finely chopped
- 300 grams golden caster sugar (or substitute superfine sugar or demerara or turbinado, ground fine in the food processor)
4 limes, halved and thinly sliced
Mix all the ingredients together in a container, cover with cling film, and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
Cook the mixture in a non-reactive saucepan over low heat, making sure the sugar melts before it boils, for 50 minutes or until the watermelon skin turns translucent.
Pour into 2 warm sterilized 450-milliliter jars, seal and let cool.
Store in the refrigerator.
It should keep unopened for several months.
Olia Hercules’ Watermelon Rind Jam
Slightly adapted from Mamushka
Makes two 450-milliliter jars
- 500 grams watermelon skin, tough thin green rind peeled and discarded, white skin finely chopped
- 300 grams golden caster sugar (or substitute superfine sugar or demerara or turbinado, ground fine in the food processor)
4 limes, halved and thinly sliced
Mix all the ingredients together in a container, cover with cling film, and leave in the refrigerator overnight.
Cook the mixture in a non-reactive saucepan over low heat, making sure the sugar melts before it boils, for 50 minutes or until the watermelon skin turns translucent.
Pour into 2 warm sterilized 450-milliliter jars, seal and let cool.
Store in the refrigerator.
It should keep unopened for several months.
Thursday, 29 October 2015
Jersey Black Butter Le Niere Beurre, Aka Apple Butter Recipe.
Jersey Black Butter Le Niere Beurre), Aka Apple Butter Recipe - Food.com
Between 1600 and 1700, twenty percent of Jersey’s arable land was made up of orchards.
A great tradition that exists as a result of Jersey’s proliferation of apples is the production of ‘black butter’ or ‘Le Niere Buerre’.

2 kg apples (cider apples)
1L sweet apple cider
500 g sugar
1 teaspoon clove (ground)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground)
1/4 teaspoon allspice (aka 1 Saltspoon)
clarified butter
DIRECTIONS
Take 4 pounds of full ripe apples, and peel and core them.
Meanwhile put into a pan 2 pints of sweet cider, and boil until it reduces by half.
Put the apples, chopped small, to the cider.
Cook slowly stirring frequently, until the fruit is tender, as you can crush beneath the back of a spoon.
Then work the apple through a sieve, and return to the pan adding
- 1lb beaten (granulated) sugar and spices as following,
- 1 teaspoon clove well ground,
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon well ground,
- 1 saltspoon allspice well ground.
Cook over low fire for about 3/4 hour, stirring until mixture thickens and turns a rich brown.
Pour the butter into into small clean jars, and cover with clarified butter when cold.
Seal and keep for three months before using.
By this time the butter will have turned almost black, and have a most delicious flavour.
I cannot guess at the amount of time to make, 1-2 days is the traditional time spent.
From Jane Austen's Christmas.
Maria Hubert von Staufer March 1995.
- Jersey Black Butter
Between 1600 and 1700, twenty percent of Jersey’s arable land was made up of orchards.
A great tradition that exists as a result of Jersey’s proliferation of apples is the production of ‘black butter’ or ‘Le Niere Buerre’.

2 kg apples (cider apples)
1L sweet apple cider
500 g sugar
1 teaspoon clove (ground)
2 teaspoons cinnamon (ground)
1/4 teaspoon allspice (aka 1 Saltspoon)
clarified butter
DIRECTIONS
Take 4 pounds of full ripe apples, and peel and core them.
Meanwhile put into a pan 2 pints of sweet cider, and boil until it reduces by half.
Put the apples, chopped small, to the cider.
Cook slowly stirring frequently, until the fruit is tender, as you can crush beneath the back of a spoon.
Then work the apple through a sieve, and return to the pan adding
- 1lb beaten (granulated) sugar and spices as following,
- 1 teaspoon clove well ground,
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon well ground,
- 1 saltspoon allspice well ground.
Cook over low fire for about 3/4 hour, stirring until mixture thickens and turns a rich brown.
Pour the butter into into small clean jars, and cover with clarified butter when cold.
Seal and keep for three months before using.
By this time the butter will have turned almost black, and have a most delicious flavour.
I cannot guess at the amount of time to make, 1-2 days is the traditional time spent.
From Jane Austen's Christmas.
Maria Hubert von Staufer March 1995.
- Jersey Black Butter
Thursday, 1 October 2015
Cranberry, apricot and pineapple jam.
laundry etc
Makes 1.3Kg (5 x 1/2pt jars)
1 med size pineapple, approx 1100g (2 1/2lbs) in weight or a 432g (15oz) tin crushed pineapple in juice
150g (5oz) dried apricots
300g (1x 12oz pack) fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
450g (1lb) sugar
apricot brandy (optional)
Prepare the pineapple; slice off the top and base and pare away the skin.
Chop down through the centre lengthways and cut into 4, then remove the woody core.
Slice the flesh into chunks then pulse in a food processor to give a fine texture.
Pour into a sieve over a bowl and collect the juice that drips through.
With my 1100g pineapple, this gave me 280g (10oz) pulp and 200ml (7 fl oz) of juice. (You don’t need to be spot on here just aim for approximately that amount.)
Chop the apricots into small even pieces and place in a bowl with 200ml (7 fl oz) of boiling water plus the pineapple juice and leave to soak for several hours or overnight.
If you plan to can (water process) your jam, prepare the water bath and jars and place jar seals in a pan of hot water on the hob.
Alternatively, prepare clean jars by sterilising them in a low oven, keeping them warm till needed.
Place the cranberries, apricots, crushed pineapple and soaking juices in a preserving pan.
Add another 200ml (7 fl oz) water and cook gently for approximately 20 minutes, until the cranberries have started to pop and the mixture combines and takes on a ruby glow.
Remove from heat for 5 minutes then add the sugar.
Stir over a gentle heat until completely dissolved, then up the heat and bring to a rolling boil, taking great care that it doesn’t burn.
It only takes 5-10 minutes before you can see the texture is thickened and a small blob on a cold plate will hold its shape.
Turn off the heat.
Leave for 5 minutes then stir in 3-5 Tbsp apricot brandy.
Pour into prepared hot jars leaving 0.5cm (1/4in) headroom, tap jars on worktop to de-bubble, clean rims and seal, then process for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from water bath and leave until completely cold before testing the seals.
Alternatively, pot the hot jam into clean hot jars and seal then store in the fridge when cold.
Makes 1.3Kg (5 x 1/2pt jars)
1 med size pineapple, approx 1100g (2 1/2lbs) in weight or a 432g (15oz) tin crushed pineapple in juice
150g (5oz) dried apricots
300g (1x 12oz pack) fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
450g (1lb) sugar
apricot brandy (optional)
Prepare the pineapple; slice off the top and base and pare away the skin.
Chop down through the centre lengthways and cut into 4, then remove the woody core.
Slice the flesh into chunks then pulse in a food processor to give a fine texture.
Pour into a sieve over a bowl and collect the juice that drips through.
With my 1100g pineapple, this gave me 280g (10oz) pulp and 200ml (7 fl oz) of juice. (You don’t need to be spot on here just aim for approximately that amount.)
Chop the apricots into small even pieces and place in a bowl with 200ml (7 fl oz) of boiling water plus the pineapple juice and leave to soak for several hours or overnight.
If you plan to can (water process) your jam, prepare the water bath and jars and place jar seals in a pan of hot water on the hob.
Alternatively, prepare clean jars by sterilising them in a low oven, keeping them warm till needed.
Place the cranberries, apricots, crushed pineapple and soaking juices in a preserving pan.
Add another 200ml (7 fl oz) water and cook gently for approximately 20 minutes, until the cranberries have started to pop and the mixture combines and takes on a ruby glow.
Remove from heat for 5 minutes then add the sugar.
Stir over a gentle heat until completely dissolved, then up the heat and bring to a rolling boil, taking great care that it doesn’t burn.
It only takes 5-10 minutes before you can see the texture is thickened and a small blob on a cold plate will hold its shape.
Turn off the heat.
Leave for 5 minutes then stir in 3-5 Tbsp apricot brandy.
Pour into prepared hot jars leaving 0.5cm (1/4in) headroom, tap jars on worktop to de-bubble, clean rims and seal, then process for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from water bath and leave until completely cold before testing the seals.
Alternatively, pot the hot jam into clean hot jars and seal then store in the fridge when cold.
Wednesday, 19 August 2015
Gingered Courgette Jam.
Gingered Courgette Jam from Pam Corbin, Author of River Cottage Preserves Cookbook | Accumul8
Gingered Courgette Jam from Pam Corbin.
Pam says “Quick and easy to make, this an excellent way to use up overgrown courgettes.
Use jam sugar, which means setting point will be captured quite effortlessly, and an abundance of courgettes will metamorphose into pots of golden, ginger jam.
It’s delicious on buttered toast or crumpets”.
Makes 5 x 340g jars.
Ingredients:
1kg overgrown courgettes or marrow, peeled and deseeded (weight after peeling)
100g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
100m freshly squeezed lemon juice (ie, the juice of 2 lemons)
1kg jam sugar (that is, sugar with added pectin)
Method:
Coarsely grate the courgettes: the easiest and quickest way to do this is to use the coarse blade on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater.
Put the courgette, ginger and lemon juice in a roomy, heavy-based pan or preserving pan.
Heat gently for three to four minutes, stirring carefully to prevent it sticking, and let the juices begin to flow.
Add the jam sugar, stir to dissolve, then bring quickly to a full rolling boil.
Boil hard for about six minutes, until glossy and transparent.
Take the pan off the heat, stirring in the same direction and spooning off any scum.
Leave to rest for a minute or so, then pour into warm, sterilised jam jars and seal immediately with a twist-on lid.
Gingered Courgette Jam from Pam Corbin.
Pam says “Quick and easy to make, this an excellent way to use up overgrown courgettes.
Use jam sugar, which means setting point will be captured quite effortlessly, and an abundance of courgettes will metamorphose into pots of golden, ginger jam.
It’s delicious on buttered toast or crumpets”.
Makes 5 x 340g jars.
Ingredients:
1kg overgrown courgettes or marrow, peeled and deseeded (weight after peeling)
100g fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
100m freshly squeezed lemon juice (ie, the juice of 2 lemons)
1kg jam sugar (that is, sugar with added pectin)
Method:
Coarsely grate the courgettes: the easiest and quickest way to do this is to use the coarse blade on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater.
Put the courgette, ginger and lemon juice in a roomy, heavy-based pan or preserving pan.
Heat gently for three to four minutes, stirring carefully to prevent it sticking, and let the juices begin to flow.
Add the jam sugar, stir to dissolve, then bring quickly to a full rolling boil.
Boil hard for about six minutes, until glossy and transparent.
Take the pan off the heat, stirring in the same direction and spooning off any scum.
Leave to rest for a minute or so, then pour into warm, sterilised jam jars and seal immediately with a twist-on lid.
Wednesday, 12 August 2015
Redcurrant jelly.
making redcurrant jelly | Nip it in the bud
In the United Kingdom, redcurrant jelly is a condiment often served with lamb, game meat including venison, turkey and goose in a festive or Sunday roast.
It is essentially a jam and is made in the same way, by adding the redcurrants to sugar, boiling, and straining.
Measure the juice and return to a saucepan.
When it is boiling add 75g of sugar per 100ml of juice and stir until dissolved.
Boil rapidly for about 10 minutes or until the setting point is reached at 104.5C.
In the United Kingdom, redcurrant jelly is a condiment often served with lamb, game meat including venison, turkey and goose in a festive or Sunday roast.
It is essentially a jam and is made in the same way, by adding the redcurrants to sugar, boiling, and straining.
Measure the juice and return to a saucepan.
When it is boiling add 75g of sugar per 100ml of juice and stir until dissolved.
Boil rapidly for about 10 minutes or until the setting point is reached at 104.5C.
Friday, 24 July 2015
6 ways to preserve gooseberries (1919).
6 ways to preserve gooseberries (1919) - Click Americana
-melt six pounds (2.722kg:3=0.907) of sugar
- in a quart - 1L:3=0.400ml of red currant juice,
let boil for five minutes and add
- eight pounds (3.628 kg:3= 1.200) of washed and steamed gooseberries.
Cook for 40 Minutes, skim well and set aside until the next morning.
Skim the berries out into jelly glasses, boil down the syrup until very thick, and pour over the fruit.
Cover with paraffin when cold.

1. To every 450g prepared fruit use 300ml water.
The riper the fruit, the less water you will need.
Put the fruit and water into a large, heavy-based saucepan.
Bring to the boil, then simmer gently until the skins are soft – they will not soften after the sugar has been added.
2. Use 450g-550g granulated sugar per 450g of fruit – use the larger amount for under-ripe fruit.
Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until it has dissolved completely.
If you boil the jam before it has dissolved, it may crystallise during storage.
Bring the jam to a rapid but steady boil and boil until it reaches a temperature of between 105°C and 110°C.
- setting point: It should happen after about 15 minutes or so of boiling, and your jam should by now have become slightly more viscous and clear.
- Cover the surface of the jam with waxed discs, wax-side down, and either quickly cover each jar with a dampened round of cellophane and rubber band or leave to go cold before covering with cellophane or a screw-top lid.
Sealing the jars well will prevent the build up of condensation under the lid, which could lead to mould.
-melt six pounds (2.722kg:3=0.907) of sugar
- in a quart - 1L:3=0.400ml of red currant juice,
let boil for five minutes and add
- eight pounds (3.628 kg:3= 1.200) of washed and steamed gooseberries.
Cook for 40 Minutes, skim well and set aside until the next morning.
Skim the berries out into jelly glasses, boil down the syrup until very thick, and pour over the fruit.
Cover with paraffin when cold.
1. To every 450g prepared fruit use 300ml water.
The riper the fruit, the less water you will need.
Put the fruit and water into a large, heavy-based saucepan.
Bring to the boil, then simmer gently until the skins are soft – they will not soften after the sugar has been added.
2. Use 450g-550g granulated sugar per 450g of fruit – use the larger amount for under-ripe fruit.
Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until it has dissolved completely.
If you boil the jam before it has dissolved, it may crystallise during storage.
Bring the jam to a rapid but steady boil and boil until it reaches a temperature of between 105°C and 110°C.
- setting point: It should happen after about 15 minutes or so of boiling, and your jam should by now have become slightly more viscous and clear.
- Cover the surface of the jam with waxed discs, wax-side down, and either quickly cover each jar with a dampened round of cellophane and rubber band or leave to go cold before covering with cellophane or a screw-top lid.
Sealing the jars well will prevent the build up of condensation under the lid, which could lead to mould.
Wednesday, 22 July 2015
A Jam Fit for a Queen.
A Jam Fit for a Queen Bar-le-duc jelly.
Bar-le-duc jelly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Currants (white currants or red currants).
6 ways to preserve gooseberries (1919) - Click Americana
Gooseberry preserves (Bar-le-duc).
Although slightly troublesome to make these are quite equal to the expensive product sold as bar-le-duc.
Select large, perfect gooseberries.
Make a tiny opening in the side of each one.
Then with a needle, remove the seeds one by one, taking pains to preserve the shape of the fruit.
Weigh the prepared berries, allow an equal amount of strained honey, and when the latter is hot, put in the berries and simmer for four minutes.
Skim out the fruit, place in tiny jelly glasses and boil down the honey syrup until very thick.
Pour this over the fruit and seal when cold with paraffin.
Bar-le-duc jelly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Currants (white currants or red currants).
6 ways to preserve gooseberries (1919) - Click Americana
Gooseberry preserves (Bar-le-duc).
Although slightly troublesome to make these are quite equal to the expensive product sold as bar-le-duc.
Select large, perfect gooseberries.
Make a tiny opening in the side of each one.
Then with a needle, remove the seeds one by one, taking pains to preserve the shape of the fruit.
Weigh the prepared berries, allow an equal amount of strained honey, and when the latter is hot, put in the berries and simmer for four minutes.
Skim out the fruit, place in tiny jelly glasses and boil down the honey syrup until very thick.
Pour this over the fruit and seal when cold with paraffin.
Tuesday, 14 July 2015
Red Gooseberries in Currant Juice Jam.
Jam and Preserve Recipes



- Red Gooseberries
- To every 450g of Red Gooseberries allow:
- 340g Sugar
- Currant Juice (285ml of redcurrant juice to each 2.7kg of Gooseberries)
Select red hairy gooseberries, gathered in dry weather, when quite ripe, without being too soft.
Weigh them.
Top and tail the gooseberries.
Add 285ml of redcurrant juice (drawn as for jelly), to each 2.7kg of fruit.
Put the gooseberries and currant juice into a preserving pan.
Boil tolerably quickly, keeping them well stirred.
When they begin to break, add sugar and keep simmering until the jam becomes firm, carefully skimming and stirring so that it does not burn at the bottom.
It should be boiled rather a long time or it will not keep.
Put it into sterilised jars (not too large).
Let it cool and cover with airtight lids.
Store in a dry place.
Time: About 1 hour to boil the gooseberries in the currant juice, from 30 to 45 minutes with the sugar.
Sufficient: Allow 900ml of fruit for a 450g pot.
Seasonable: Make this in June or July.
Or:
Wash the fruit (always with gooseberries), top and tail them and pack loosely into a shallow lidded freezer container or, try dry-freezing them.
Spread them out on kitchen-paper on a tray and freeze as individual fruits.
When frozen, they can be packed into freezer bags.
Easy!
- Red Gooseberries
- To every 450g of Red Gooseberries allow:
- 340g Sugar
- Currant Juice (285ml of redcurrant juice to each 2.7kg of Gooseberries)
Select red hairy gooseberries, gathered in dry weather, when quite ripe, without being too soft.
Weigh them.
Top and tail the gooseberries.
Add 285ml of redcurrant juice (drawn as for jelly), to each 2.7kg of fruit.
Put the gooseberries and currant juice into a preserving pan.
Boil tolerably quickly, keeping them well stirred.
When they begin to break, add sugar and keep simmering until the jam becomes firm, carefully skimming and stirring so that it does not burn at the bottom.
It should be boiled rather a long time or it will not keep.
Put it into sterilised jars (not too large).
Let it cool and cover with airtight lids.
Store in a dry place.
Time: About 1 hour to boil the gooseberries in the currant juice, from 30 to 45 minutes with the sugar.
Sufficient: Allow 900ml of fruit for a 450g pot.
Seasonable: Make this in June or July.
Or:
Wash the fruit (always with gooseberries), top and tail them and pack loosely into a shallow lidded freezer container or, try dry-freezing them.
Spread them out on kitchen-paper on a tray and freeze as individual fruits.
When frozen, they can be packed into freezer bags.
Easy!
Monday, 13 July 2015
Gooseberry and Mint Jelly.
Allotment: From Plan to Plot to Platter: Search results for gooseberries
Gooseberries make a satisfyingly sharp jelly especially if used while slightly unripe
900 gms / 2lbs gooseberries
600ml/1 pint water
Sugar ( see method)
Large bunch of mint
½ litre [1 pint] washed, dried and finely chopped mint leaves
Method
1. Wash the gooseberries and remove leaves or pieces of twig - it isn’t necessary to top and tail them.
2. Put in a pan with the water and the large bunch of mint (use a large pan, like a preserving pan if you have).
3. Bring to the boil then simmer gently until the fruit is soft, approx 10 minutes.
Use a wooden spoon to crush the fruit occasionally as it cooks, a little more water may be added if necessary.
4. Strain the fruit through a jelly bag or muslin bag – leave overnight.
Do not squeeze the bag or the jelly will be cloudy.
5. Measure the juice and add 450g/1 lb sugar to each 600ml/1 pint juice
6. Put the juice into a clean large saucepan or preserving pan, add the sugar and heat gently, stirring to ensure all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a rolling boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.
7. Skim and put into pots. Allow it to cool slightly, then add the chopped mint and stir a little to encourage the mint to mix evenly through the jelly. [If you add the mint immediately it will stay on the surface of the jelly].
---------------***--------------
Two sorts of jelly:
- Gooseberry and Mint
For the first I cooked the smallest fruits - sorted from the jam session - down with a little water and a few mint sprigs, dripped through a jelly bag overnight, then measured the liquid the next day.
I added an equal amount of sugar, stirred to dissolve then boiled to a set.
I had a couple of handfuls of mint leaves, finely chopped, which I threw in once the jelly was ready to be potted.
This keeps the colour of the herb and stops it going too dark, it doesn't need cooking as such.
Remember to wait a little while before potting - around 15 minutes - to prevent all of the mint rising to the top of the jar.
A fantastic flavour with roast meats or oily fish.
Or try using it, warmed to melt it a little, brushed over a fresh tomato tart to glaze a Summer lunch favourite.
————— *** -----------
- Gooseberry and Elderflower.
This recipe is using 1.5 kg prepared fruit.
I started by rinsing the fruit and packing it into the washed jars - it is best to prick each fruit to stop them collapsing when cooked.
Its a bit painstaking but I found if I used my small sharp knife to spear each fruit out of the colander to transfer it to the jar - makes the job less tedious.
The rubber seals from the jars should be put into a heatproof jug and pour over boiling water.
In a big pan put
- 454g soft brown or demerera sugar,
- 110g cornflour,
- 1 tsp salt and
- vanilla pod
and stir together to mix.
Gradually add 1.5 litres cold water and stir until smooth.
Gradually heat up to the boil, stirring continuously.
Once thickened pour over the fruit in the jar.
Tap the jars gently on the work surface to remove air bubbles or run a knife around the jar sides if this is easier.
Tuck a couple of halves of vanilla pod down the sides of each jar, and leave a gap of about 3 cm at the top and replace the rubber seals to the lids.
Clip the jars down and place in a pan on a cloth, covering the jars with cold water.
Turn on the heat, bring to the boil, and maintain a simmer for 20 minutes.
Lift the jars out with jar tongs and leave to cool overnight.
Next day, release the clips to make sure the seals are sealed properly.
You can now squirrel the jars away all ready for some Winter crumbles. ( I liked the look of this so much I made a second batch.)
Gooseberries make a satisfyingly sharp jelly especially if used while slightly unripe
900 gms / 2lbs gooseberries
600ml/1 pint water
Sugar ( see method)
Large bunch of mint
½ litre [1 pint] washed, dried and finely chopped mint leaves
Method
1. Wash the gooseberries and remove leaves or pieces of twig - it isn’t necessary to top and tail them.
2. Put in a pan with the water and the large bunch of mint (use a large pan, like a preserving pan if you have).
3. Bring to the boil then simmer gently until the fruit is soft, approx 10 minutes.
Use a wooden spoon to crush the fruit occasionally as it cooks, a little more water may be added if necessary.
4. Strain the fruit through a jelly bag or muslin bag – leave overnight.
Do not squeeze the bag or the jelly will be cloudy.
5. Measure the juice and add 450g/1 lb sugar to each 600ml/1 pint juice
6. Put the juice into a clean large saucepan or preserving pan, add the sugar and heat gently, stirring to ensure all the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a rolling boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached.
7. Skim and put into pots. Allow it to cool slightly, then add the chopped mint and stir a little to encourage the mint to mix evenly through the jelly. [If you add the mint immediately it will stay on the surface of the jelly].
---------------***--------------
Two sorts of jelly:
- Gooseberry and Mint
For the first I cooked the smallest fruits - sorted from the jam session - down with a little water and a few mint sprigs, dripped through a jelly bag overnight, then measured the liquid the next day.
I added an equal amount of sugar, stirred to dissolve then boiled to a set.
I had a couple of handfuls of mint leaves, finely chopped, which I threw in once the jelly was ready to be potted.
This keeps the colour of the herb and stops it going too dark, it doesn't need cooking as such.
Remember to wait a little while before potting - around 15 minutes - to prevent all of the mint rising to the top of the jar.
A fantastic flavour with roast meats or oily fish.
Or try using it, warmed to melt it a little, brushed over a fresh tomato tart to glaze a Summer lunch favourite.
————— *** -----------
- Gooseberry and Elderflower.
This recipe is using 1.5 kg prepared fruit.
I started by rinsing the fruit and packing it into the washed jars - it is best to prick each fruit to stop them collapsing when cooked.
Its a bit painstaking but I found if I used my small sharp knife to spear each fruit out of the colander to transfer it to the jar - makes the job less tedious.
The rubber seals from the jars should be put into a heatproof jug and pour over boiling water.
In a big pan put
- 454g soft brown or demerera sugar,
- 110g cornflour,
- 1 tsp salt and
- vanilla pod
and stir together to mix.
Gradually add 1.5 litres cold water and stir until smooth.
Gradually heat up to the boil, stirring continuously.
Once thickened pour over the fruit in the jar.
Tap the jars gently on the work surface to remove air bubbles or run a knife around the jar sides if this is easier.
Tuck a couple of halves of vanilla pod down the sides of each jar, and leave a gap of about 3 cm at the top and replace the rubber seals to the lids.
Clip the jars down and place in a pan on a cloth, covering the jars with cold water.
Turn on the heat, bring to the boil, and maintain a simmer for 20 minutes.
Lift the jars out with jar tongs and leave to cool overnight.
Next day, release the clips to make sure the seals are sealed properly.
You can now squirrel the jars away all ready for some Winter crumbles. ( I liked the look of this so much I made a second batch.)
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