Jam session

Stock up your pantry with the best of the season’s harvest to enjoy year-round.

Plan to make jam when fruit is at its peak – that way you can enjoy the flavours of fresh produce all year−round. Jams, conserves and marmalades are made from a single or several types of fruit

(or vegetables). A conserve is jam made with large pieces of fruit. Marmalade is simply jam made from citrus fruit.

INGREDIENTS

Fruit

The best fruits for jam−making are those with a good balance of acid and pectin, such as grapes, tart apples, quince, citrus and plums.

Fruits low in pectin but high in acid include apricots, pineapples, rhubarb and under−ripe peaches. To increase the pectin content, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to each 1kg of fruit used. Or include a fruit that’s high in pectin and low in acid, such as a sweet apple variety. Fruits low in acid and pectin include berries, melons, pears and cherries. They’re not suitable to use singly in jams, and will need the addition of other fruit that contain a balance of acid and pectin.

When pectin is combined with sugar and acid, it develops thickening properties similar to gelatine and creates the jell that causes the jam to set.

Sugar

It is the sugar that, in combination with some form of acid, acts as the preservative in preserves. Use granulated white sugar unless otherwise specified. To prevent sugar crystallising, ensure it’s dissolved completely before bringing a mixture to the boil.

EQUIPMENT

Pans

Choose a large, wide pan made from heavy aluminium, enamel or stainless steel; avoid copper or unsealed cast−iron pans, as acids in fruit and vegetables may react with these metals, spoiling the flavour of the preserve. For the same reason, don’t leave preserve mixtures standing in aluminium pans for more than 1 hour. As a guide to the size of saucepan to use, the preserve mixture should not be more than 5cm deep to ensure sufficient evaporation is achieved in the cooking time specified and to allow space for the mixture to bubble up while it’s boiling.

Muslin

Muslin is available from fabric and kitchen shops. You’ll need a small quantity in recipes where seeds and spices are tied up in little bags so they are easily discarded at the end of cooking, plus a larger amount for straining jellies.

Cooking thermometer

These take the guesswork out of gauging when a preserve has jelled, which is when it reaches about 105°C.

Jam funnel

This has a wide opening to allow the funnel to sit inside the mouth of jars, making filling fast and hygienic. Available from kitchen shops.

Jars

Use jars free of chips and cracks, with tight−fitting lids to form a good seal. Metal screw−top and glass or metal clamp tops with rubber seals in good condition are all suitable. If you reuse jars not designed for preserving, be aware that some lids can be made of poor−quality metal which may corrode during storage, so choose those with a lining if possible. If in doubt, place a disc of baking paper inside the lid of the jar before securing.

JELLING POINT

There are a few visual clues that a jam is almost ready: the mixture will appear thickened, with the liquid evaporated by about half. Towards the end of cooking, gently stir the jam to ensure it isn’t catching on the base of the pan. A jam is ready when it reaches ‘jelling point’. To test it, place two or three small saucers in the freezer before you start, then drop a small spoonful onto the chilled saucer. Jam that is pulpy in texture should jell to a spreadable consistency within several minutes.

Jam with pieces of fruit suspended in it, such as marmalade, will develop a skin on top. Push the jam with your finger; the skin will wrinkle if the jam is ready. If the jam is not jelling, return it to the heat and boil it again, for a few minutes. If the jam refuses to set, try adding 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Reboil the jam and test again. If this fails, use commercial pectin to set the jam. It’s available from supermarkets and health−food stores.