The perfect... Raspberry Jam

Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the fundamentals of cooking

In Sweden, where I come from, there is a tradition of people making jam, and it is becoming even more common with younger people. People still enjoy using fresh fruit, and the whole worry these days about sugar hasn’t really influenced how people feel about home-made jam. We don’t seem so worried when it comes to home-made stuff, because we know what we’ve put into it. What we worry about more, these days, is the hidden sugars in everything else. Jam is such a simple thing to make, but the modern sure-set sugars make it much easier and impossible to get wrong. Sure-set sugars have pectin blended through them, so the jam sets in a much shorter time, and you also have confidence that your jam will set for you. The added pectin also works as a preservative, so you don’t have to worry so much about jars of jam getting mouldy. Sterilising your jars is crucial when it comes to avoiding mould, though. I like to dip them in boiling water just before I’m ready to use them, but you can also run them through a very hot dishwasher. And then I just use the twist-on jam-jar lids. In Sweden, we used to use paraffin wax as lids, but no one does that any more. Any type of saucepan is suitable for making jam, but just take care not to make a small batch of jam in a too-large saucepan. In a big saucepan, a small volume will boil too fast and, even with added pectin, the sugar won’t have time to set and your jam won’t work. My preference is for making small batches of jam at a time. This is mainly because I like to vary the recipe. I don’t enjoy making just a 10-kilo batch of plain strawberry jam, because I’d get bored of it before I finished the whole lot. Raspberry jam is my very favourite jam, but I enjoy varying that, too. I like to make it with various herbs, or to add a little ginger. You could also add the juice of a lemon or a lime. One lovely twist is to add brown sugar and rum to a raspberry jam. I use the same amount of berries and sugar as in the recipe below, but add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and 1 tablespoon of rum. You can add 2 tablespoons of rum, if you really like the taste of rum. I prefer just a suggestion of it, though, and to let the taste of the raspberries shine through.

You will need:

500g (17½ oz) fresh raspberries 300g (10½ oz) Siucra Sure-Set Jam Sugar

Method:

Rinse and drain the fresh raspberries. Put the raspberries in a saucepan that accommodates them comfortably, but snugly. Add the Siucra Sure-Set Jam Sugar and bring the saucepan to the boil, stirring it frequently. Boil for four minutes. Skim the surface of the jam towards the end of the four minutes to remove any scum. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the jam into hot, sterilised jars and seal them immediately. Store the jam in a cool place. A

Diana Dosen is recipe developer with Siucra. For more jam recipes, see siucra.ie In conversation with Sarah Caden