Jams & Jellies

JAMS AND JELLIES

BRAMBLE AND JELLY CHEESE

A fruity cheese is a solid, sliceable preserve that is a great addition to your cheeseboard for pudding. It is also a great thrifty use of the pulp left over from a jelly - no waste here! If using left over pulp, skip the first part and begin at the sugar adding stage. Fruit cheeses have a deeper flavour if allowed to settle for a week or so. This recipe can be adapted to many fruits. If using berries, it is a good idea to include the apples to aid with the setting point, whilst fruits such as pears and quinces require no apples.

INGREDIENTS 500g apples 500g brambles 750g-1kg of granulated sugar Method Roughly chop the apples (or other fruit) but don’t core or peel them.

Place both the berries and the apples in a large pan and barely cover with water, (fruit juice or cider are delicious alternatives) bring to a simmer and allow to cook until soft and pulpy. Push your cooked fruit through a sieve, or mouli. Weigh out the pulp and return it to the cleaned-out pan.

Add a kilo of sugar for every kilo of fruit. You can add less , 750g say, though you will have to cook it longer to reach setting point and it will not store for as long.

Cook the pulp gently until it is thick. You’ll know it is ready when you can scrape a spoon through it and see the base of the pan for a couple of seconds, before the mixture oozes together again.

When the cheese is ready pour into prepared jars - I use small sterilised jam jars. As a fruit cheese tends to be served in little moulds, you can use tea cups and food grade, paraffin wax for sealing.

BRAMBLE AND APPLE JELLY This is a fantastically nostalgic treat that captures autumn in a bite. It is adapted from Pam ‘The Jam’ Corbin’s Hedgerow Jelly recipe and here you can use whatever treasures you have harvested from the hedgerow: crab apples, sloes, elderberries, rowans, hips and haws. This treat will store for 12 months, just in time for the next crop to be harvested.

As with all jellies, if you want it to be clear rather than cloudy, resist the urge to give the bag a squeeze! If you don’t have a jelly bag, you can use an ironed pillow case instead.

INGREDIENTS Makes roughly 7-8 x 225g jars 1kg crab apples 1kg mixed hedgerow berries Around 900g granulated sugar Method Check your fruit, removing any stalks and bits of leafs. If necessary give the berries a quick rinse. As the core and peel of the apples are a great source of pectin - which will aid your jelly in setting - there is no need to core or peel.

Put all the prepared fruit in a saucepan with 1.2 litres of water and bring it gently to a simmering point. Let it simmer gently until all the fruit is soft and pulpy.

Remove from the heat.

Have a muslin cloth, scalded jelly bag, or an ironed pillowcase ready and pour the contents of the pan into it. Leave this to drip overnight at its own pace- resisting the urge to squeeze the contents if you want a clear jelly.

The following day, measure the juice - you will have roughly 1.2 litres, though this does depend on the berries that you have used. A general rule is that for every 600ml of juice allow 450g of sugar. Put the juice into a large pan and bring slowly to the boil. Add the sugar as it just comes to the boil and keep stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then boil rapidly, without stirring, for 9-10 minutes until setting point is reached. Skim the jelly, using a slotted spoon and pot and seal as soon as possible.

FRUIT BUTTER This is ideal to use up the pulp that is left over from making a jelly and is delicious spread over hot toast of a winter’s morning. If using apples, remove the skin and core by passing through a mouli or sieve. Play around with spices especially if you are using apples - cloves and cinnamon give a particularly festive taste. Using half the weight of sugar to pulp is a successful rule of thumb. As fruit butter has a relatively short shelf life, (due to the reduced amount of sugar) it’s great to fill up smaller jars.

INGREDIENTS 600g pulp 300g sugar (a pinch or two of cinnamon and ground cloves) Method In a large pan, place the pulp, sugar and any spices that you are using over a medium heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then boil rapidly until the mixture is thick and creamy.

Take the mixture off the heat and pour into sterilised, hot jars and seal immediately.

ROASTED PLUM, CARDAMOM AND VANILLA JAM This is a distinctively delicious jam recipe, taken from Alys Fowler’s Abundance book.

Whilst the Cardamom is optional, thinking ahead to the long, dark winter days, I think it will be a treat your taste buds will thank you for. Though the recipe calls for soft dark sugar I had a lot of Demerara sugar and it worked just as nicely. I have also added in butter, as my wise grandad always advised, it helps prevent scum from forming.

INGREDIENTS Makes 6-7 16oz jars 2 kg plums A generous handful of soft dark sugar 2kg light brown sugar 1 split vanilla pod 40g butter 1 teaspoon of cardamom seed, finely ground (optional) Juice of 2 lemons Put your oven on to 140.C/gas mark 2.

Cut your plums in half and destone them.

Arrange them skin- side down in a large roasting tin and sprinkle over the soft dark sugar. Roast the plums in the oven for around 40 minutes, giving them regular checks to prevent them from burning.

Place the cooked plums in a large bowl, with the sugar and vanilla pod and use a spoon or your hands to give the mixture a gentle mix. Leave the mixture to one side for at least 3 nights, overnight is even better, to macerate. (If time is of the essence you can skip this stage- it does make the jam sublime though- think large mouthfuls if mouthwatering plums, as opposed to a sticky mass) Tip the contents of the bowl into a preserving pan and add the cardamom (if using) alongside the lemon juice and butter. Bring the mixture slowly to the boil whilst stirring continuously to dissolve the sugar, and then boil rapidly for around 20 -25 minutes until it is thick and the setting point is reached. Allow the jam to cool a little and skim off any scum using a slotted spoon. Pour into warm, sterilised jars.

SOME GOLDEN JAM RULES These handy tips will help you preserve your favorite fruits.

Its best to use fresh, slightly under ripe for jam. Syrups,cordials and vinegars are great for rip and over ripe fruit.

Prepare the fruit accordingly, Hull the strawberries, top and tail gooseberries,remove the stones from other plums, apricots.

Invest in a good, heavy based steel preserving pan. They can be used for various other things, will last you a lifetime and can happily be passed on to the next generation of preservers!

Make sure that all the fruit is cooked and soft before any sugar is added. Regardless of cooking time, once the sugar is added the fruits will not soften any further.

1 pint of fruit to 1ilb of sugar. In order for the jam to be fully preserved at least 60% of the final weight of the jam needs to be sugar.

Adding a knob of butter at the same time as the sugar(20g for every 1kg fruit), can aid preventing scum from forming.

Once you have added the sugar stir frequently over low heat to help the sugar dissolve , this will also allow, stirring before the mixture boils allows the fruit to be kept in whole pieces.

Put your mixing spoon to the side once the sugar is dissolved, and cook on a high heat until a rolling boil is achieved. This is when the surface is covered by a mass of foamy bubbles that don't recede when stirred. If you stir at this point it will take longer for your jam to set.

Remember slow cooking before the sugar and very rapid short cooking afterwards.

Setting Point- Cold plate test- add a teaspoon of jam to cold plate. The surface should crinkle when you push it with a finger, remove the pan from the heat when testing as you might miss the setting point. Or alternatively place a preserving thermometer in the jam.

Setting point for most jams is 104.5C.Pectin rich fruits such as red currants will set a few degrees lower.

Once the setting point is reached take the pan off the heat and remove any scum with a slotted spoon. It is best to stir the jam in the same direction to not introduce too much air.

Scum is just air bubbles created by the intense heating process.

Let the jam cool for 10 -15 minutes-if using large fruits- which thickens the jam slightly and the fruit will be evenly dispersed.

Whilst the jam is still hot pour it into clean and sterilised jars filling up to the top (it will shrink slightly on cooling) and seal with suitable lids immediately.

STERILISING JARS Old jars are great for jam, just check for cracks or chips as they are ideal breading grounds for bugs and bacteria. Remove old labels – it helps to put the jars in a pan of cold water and simmer for ten minutes.

3 options to sterilise jars: 1.Wash in very hot soapy water, Heat the oven to 140C and for 5 minutes, turn off and then place your jars in the oven on a tray for 10 -15minutes, 2.Put them through a hot dishwasher cycle, 3. Immerse them in a pan of water and bring to the boil.

Lids can be sterilised in the same way though it can be easier to use new lids.