Ask Hilary

Q

I can’t resist a bargain and raspberries have been plentiful and cheap so I have frozen a lot. Please share a recipe for an easy jam. Angie, Sea Point

I spent a day picking raspberries at a farm just outside Joburg, Field Berry Farm. Making jam from frozen fruit is often better than using fresh. The idea is to freeze the fruit layered in a container with an equivalent amount of sugar. Defrost, bring to the boil, adding the juice of 1 lemon, and cook until setting point is reached. This is food blogger Jenny Kay’s recipe for an easy jam made in the microwave.

RASPBERRY JAM MAKES 3 SMALL BOTTLES

500g raspberries 45ml lemon juice 400ml white sugar

Combine the raspberries and juice in a large glass bowl. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove and stir. Add the sugar and stir. Return to the microwave and cook at 5-minute intervals, stirring well after each 5 minutes. Repeat this until the setting point is reached. Test by dropping a little of the mixture onto a cold plate. If it forms a gel, it is ready. The cooking time is about 15 minutes. Spoon into jars and seal.