Preserves

Appears in

Published 1974

About

Homemade preserves are extra special. All year round there are fruits and vegetables with which to make jams, jellies, marmalade, pickles and chutneys. Store them in a cool, dark and dry cupboard and supplies will keep from one season through to the next.

General Notes on Jam and Jelly Making

Choose sound, slightly under-ripe fruit; never use any soft, damaged or mouldy fruit. Pick over carefully, and remove stalks and hulls. Wipe or wash to clean the fruit.
It is always advisable to use a large preserving pan, house-hold saucepans are rarely big enough. To get a good set, jam must be boiled fast and at this stage the jam will boil up to three or four times its original bulk.
All fruit needs softening before the sugar is added. Soft fruits require no additional water. It is only necessary to crush a few of the berries in the pan. Add the remaining berries and heat gently for a few minutes to draw out sufficient juice to dissolve the sugar. Tough-skinned fruits such as gooseberries, blackcurrants and damsons must be stewed in water until quite tender before adding any sugar. Sugar added too soon causes toughening of skins and fruit. Once sugar is added it must be completely dissolved before the jam is allowed to boil. Failure to do this often causes the sugar to re-crystallize in the finished preserve.
To test for a set Remove the pan of boiling jam or jelly from the heat. Spoon a few drops on to a cold plate. Cool quickly by placing in the refrigerator or a cool corner for a few moments. Test by pushing with the little finger. If a wrinkled skin forms on the surface, the jam or jelly will set. If no wrinkled skin appears, return to the heat and boil briskly for another 5 minutes, then test again.
Most jams and all jellies are potted within 2–3 minutes of reaching setting point. However, any jam with large berries such as strawberries, or cherry jam should be allowed to cool for about 30 minutes first. This helps to prevent the fruit from floating to the tops of the jars and keeps it evenly suspended.
Stand the jars for filling on a wooden surface – a table-top or large pastry board will do – or on folded newspaper. Ladle or pour the jam using a small jug into the jars, filling each one up to the neck. Wipe any drips from the sides of the jars with a hot damp cloth while they are still warm. While still hot, cover the jam surface with waxed paper circles, then moisten one side of the cellophane cover with a damp cloth and place it over the jar, damp side upwards, and fix in position with an elastic band or thin string. When cold, label the jars and and then store in a cool, dry, dark cupboard.