Jam making
is an excellent way to preserve the flavour of seasonal fruit. As form of
preservation, the sugar in jam is dissolved in the water rendering it useless
to food spoilage bacteria and therefore preserving the colour and flavour of
fruit to be enjoyed as a breakfast spread or filling for a sponge, donut or
topping for a rice pudding or ice cream.
Ingredients
Three
ingredients make a tasty jam: firstly, white sugar- this must be a coarse grade
such as Granulated (in the UK) or the product labelled as white sugar in
Australia. Finer castor sugar is unsuitable as it creates scum and a cloudy
poor tasting jam. Secondly the fruit. It should be high in Pectin to enable a
firm set. Fruits with a high pectin content include stone fruits (plum,
apricot, peach, greengage, grape), hard fruits (apple, pear, quince) and citrus
(Seville oranges make thick and firm set Marmalade). Pectin is a protein found
in fruit skins, fibre, pips and the kernels in stone fruit. Fruits low in
pectin include all the yummy colourful berries. To compensate for this our
third ingredient is lemon. The juice and fine zest will give a balance in
flavour. The pith and fibrous insides of your spent lemons (I call these the
lemon skeletons!) can be stewed during the initial softening of your fruit,
prior to the addition of sugar. This will extract pectin from the lemon to
assist a firm set. Remove the skeletons prior to adding your sugar. Other
sources of Pectin include commercial Jamsetter or grated apple will assist a
berry based jam to set firmly. If you want to be really organised and plan to
make a ton of berry jam, strained whole apple puree will provide a shot of
Pectin.
Equipment
The basic
equipment of your kitchen will be sufficient to make a batch of jam: a wide
thick bottomed pan. A thick bottom will prevent burning/ caramelising of your
fruit- cast iron, aluminium, stainless steel all give even heat distribution. A
wide pan to aid the cooking/ evaporation process- if making a small batch I use
a thick based wok which allows steam to easy escape. Jars with either screw
tops that are odour free or if re using jars, discs of waxed paper, cellophane
to seal with rubber bands. A ladle and a long handled wooden spoon for stirring
are a must. To ensure that your jam sets when cool, you need to test samples
which will indicate when the jam is sufficiently cooked and can be removed from
the fire. Onto a plate chilled in the freezer, you can drop a teaspoon of your
boiling mix and after waiting a couple of minutes, if you can push the jam and
it wrinkles up on the plate then it will set. If the jam when tested doesn’t
wrinkle continue cooking and testing. If you want to get serious at jam making some
optional equipment is: a sugar thermometer (which will save you time wasted on
plate testing by indicating when the boiling jam has reached Jam setting point of
104 oC), a preserving funnel (a wide mouthed funnel will protect the
neck of your jars from messy splashes which can cause poor sealing and
spoilage).
Recipe
A simple
formula for jam making is equal parts fruit and sugar with one lemon to every
500g of sugar. When choosing your fruit, remember you are preserving food
therefore do not use over ripe or mouldy fruit. If fruit is a little under ripe
the higher the pectin and a firmer set in the finished jam- Apricots and plums
are best when firm early in the season. Remember seasonal fruit is best but if
you have a burning desire to make jam with frozen fruit, it will work but
increase the fruit content by 10% to compensate for damaging effect of freezing
on the fruit. Do not wash berries only wipe them to remove any dust or dirt.
Berries will absorb water leading to weight gain and lower levels of Pectin and
flavour. If you wash stone fruit try it well using a clean tea towel.
Strawberry
and Rhubarb Jam
500g whole
strawberries
I bunch
Rhubarb (approx. 400- 500g).
White sugar
equal to the weight of the prepared fruit.
2 whole
lemons- fine zest, and juiced.
1. Set your oven to 100 oC.
2. Prepare your fruit: remove the green
from the strawberries, wash and dry well the rhubarb shards. Top and tail to
remove any dry ends and cut into short lengths (approx. 1cm). Confirm the weigh
your fruit and measure an equal weight of sugar. Place this in the oven to warm
(this will aid the dissolving of the sugar and reduce scum and cooking time).
3. Let’s cook: place in pan with lemon
zest, juice and skeletons. Over a low heat, cook gently to soften the fruit,
stir frequently to ensure even softening.
4. Once your fruit is lightly cooked
and soft, remove the skeletons and press them between two bowls to extract
juice and pectin. Pour this into your fruit mixture. Add your sugar on a low
heat and stir to dissolve.
5. Once the sugar is dissolved,
increase heat to medium and stir no longer. Your jam should have a rolling
boil.
6. Sterilise your jars: rinse your clean jars in warm water in the
sink, and place them upside down in the oven to sterilise. Repeat with your
lids. If you are new to jam making or get interrupted often, it is wise to complete
this before you start the cooking.
7. Check the status of your jam using a
thermometer (the boiling mixture should achieve Jamming point of 104 oC)
and the chilled plate check. If the mix doesn’t wrinkle continue cooking till a
further check does wrinkle.
8. Let’s bottle: remove the jam from
the heat and once the mixture has settled, using a metal spoon remove any scum.
Place your sterilised jars on a wooden board or tea towel (this will prevent
any cracking from sudden heat loss). Fill the jars to about 1 cm below the lip.
Seal whilst hot with lid or disc of waxed paper and cellophane.
9. Label with the date and store in a
dark cupboard. Jam does not need to be stored in the fridge.
A note for
safe thermometer use: during the cooking process your thermometer will achieve hot
temperatures. Therefore after use place your thermometer in a jug of hot water,
to prevent sudden cooling which can cause a thermometer to crack.
Further
information on jam covers can be found at:
http://www.lakeland.co.uk/3830/1lb-Jam-Pot-Covers
No comments:
Post a Comment