![]() ![]() Most jams call for equal proportions of fruit and sugar, although this varies. ![]() Do not use ‘jam sugar’ as it has pectin added to it. By all means use organic sugar but be aware that dark sugars can turn jams an unappealing brown colour. It’s cheaper than caster sugar (superfine granulated), and doesn’t throw off as much scum. I cannot vouch for commercially made jam. If mould forms on top of homemade jam just scrape it off – it’s harmless – and thereafter keep the jam refrigerated. Sugar helps preserve jam and prevent mould forming on top. An old fashioned trick is to swirl a small knob of butter over the surface of the jam to dissolve the scum. If you want to remove it, take pan off the heat and skim it with a slotted spoon, or gently stir it through the jam. Some people worry about the bubbly scum on top of jam, and others don’t. It’s not complicated, only made to seem so by companies wanting to sell us pectin and pectin products. I do not like to use pectin in my jams, and see no need to, as I prefer a natural product made the old fashioned way by cooking fruit and sugar together until they reach setting point. ![]() Shorter cooking produces jam with a brighter colour and fresher flavour (prolonged boiling can turn jam muddy-coloured and it may lose its bright fresh fruit flavours). I usually cut medium-sized plums in half and large ones into quarters.Ĭooking fruit gently to soften it before adding sugar will ensure skins remain tender, and thereafter the jam need not be boiled for as long to reach setting point. If you want smooth jam, chop fruit finely. I like my jam to have pieces of visible fruit rather than a smooth homogenised texture. If you do it the other way around, the water might not filter through the fruit in time and fruit may catch on the bottom. If the recipe calls for water, put it in the pan first, then dump the fruit on top. Some fruits require more water than others, and some, like strawberries which squish down easily, require none. A little water added to the pan stops the fruit from catching on the bottom of the pan before juice starts running. ![]()
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