Top tips for making your own jam
1. The simplest recipe uses equal measures of fruit and sugar which is boiled together. Avoid making too much at once as it will affect the setting process — aim for 1kg of fruit.
2. Soft-skinned fruits, like berries, should be soaked in sugar prior to cooking so they hold their shape. Hard-skinned fruits, like apples, need simmering to soften before the sugar is added.
Try this plum and vanilla jam.
3. The sugar should be completely dissolved before the jam comes to a boil to avoid a grainy result.
4. Be aware of the pectin level of your fruit as it affects the setting process. Most berries are low in pectin, so give them a hand with a squeeze of lemon or by using jam-setting sugar with added pectin. You could also combine high and low pectin fruits, such as apple (high) and strawberry (low).
Homemade jam makes a great gift for family or friends.
5. To check if jam is set, place a dollop on a chilled saucer. When sufficiently cooked, the jam will ripple when pushed with your fingertip.
6. Allow jam to settle for 15 minutes after it has reached setting point, then pour into clean, dry, hot jars.
This article first appeared in Food magazine.
Follow Food on Facebook, Instagram and sign up to their e-newsletter.
