Home Made Jam

At Christmas I gave our friends and family some of my homemade jam and not only did every body enjoy it they all asked me for the recipe. So here it is:-

I found this great recipe in one on of my cook books bake with Rachel Allen (you can pick this book up from any great book shop) her recipe is easy to follow and has very little ingredients and your jam can be made within a hour just using your normal  kitchen utensils.

You Need

• 1kg granulated sugar
• 1kg fresh or frozen fruit berry's
• Juice of 2 lemons 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (350 Fahrenheit) or Gas mark 4. Place the sugar into a bowl in a ovenproof dish and place in the oven for 15 min to warm through.
2. Meanwhile, place the berry's with the lemon juice in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Using a potato masher or hand blender, mash the fruit to the desired consistency of your choice. Turn up the heat, bring to the boil and cook for 2 min until juicy.
3.  Add the warm sugar to the berry's and stir until dissolved, then boil for another 6 min, stirring frequently. (If there is any scum on the top, (pink froth) skim it off with a slotted spoon and discard.) Remove the pan from the heat while you test the jam to see if its set. (see bellow on how to test the jam) If the jam hasn't set, boil for a min or so longer and test again.
4. Remove the pan from the heat, pot into sterilized jars and cover with lids or jam covers while still hot.

 Testing the Jam Has Set

To test whether your jam has set, put a teaspoonful on a chilled plate and place in the fridge. When the jam is cold, run your finger through the 'blob'. If a wrinkle forms in the skin on top then it is set.

This is jam is a great last minute gift or to make the day before your cream tea family/friends get together. 

I hope you have as much fun making your jam as I do. I look forward to hearing about how your jam making went.