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Jams and Preserves

When using any soft fruits, you should only use good, dry, fresh berries.

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  1. Apricot Curd
  2. Blackcurrant Jam and Jelly
  3. Gooseberry Jam
  4. Green Mint Jelly
  5. Lemon Curd
  6. Orange and Pineapple Marmalade
  7. Quick Raspberry Jam
  8. Rhubarb and Apricot Jam
  9. Rhubarb Jam
  10. Rowan and Apple Jelly
  11. Strawberry Jam
  12. Three Fruit Marmalade
  13. Vegetable Marrow Jam
  1. Piccalilli or Mustard Pickle
  2. Plum Chutney
  3. Sweet & Sour Chutney
  4. Tomato Chutney


Apricot Curd

Ingredients:
  • 6 ounces of dried apricots
  • 4 ounces fresh butter
  • 1 pound castor sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • Juice of 1 lemon
Methodology: Cover apricots with cold water.
Soak overnight, then stew in a little water until very tender.
Sieve.
Put puree into pan with lemon juice, sugar and butter.
Stir over gentle heat until butter is melted, but do not boil.
Add beaten eggs. Continue stirring until curd comes to boiling point.
Pour immediately into small pots/jars.

Blackcurrant Jam and Jelly

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound blackcurrants
  • 1 pint water
  • 3 pounds sugar
  • A knob of butter
Methodology: Clean the fruit, stripping it from the stalks and snipping off brown tips with scissors.
Put in the preserving pan with the water.
Bring to the boil, and boil gently for 20 minutes.
Add the sugar.
Heat slowly until the sugar has dissolved, then boil briskly for 5 minutes.
Add the butter, draw off the heat and test for setting.

If ready, pour into prepared pots, but if not, boil fast again for a few more minutes.
Pour into pots. Yield is about 5 pounds of jam.

Jelly

To make a colourful jelly, allow:
  • 11/2 pounds of blackcurrants

  • 1/2 pound of redcurrants

  • 13/4 pints water

  • Sugar as required
Wash the fruits, place in a pan with the water and simmer for 15 minutes or so, until tender, mashing well to extract the juice.
Drip overnight through a jelly bag, then measure the juice obtained and allow 1 pound of sugar to each pint.
Heat the juice in the preserving pan, have the sugar warmed and add it.
Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves, then boil rapidly for 15 minutes, or until setting when tested.
The mixture of the two fruits makes a ruby red jelly which is very attractive, but when not available black currants alone prove equally good.
Yield for jellies is dependent on the juiciness of the fruit.

Gooseberry Jam

This produces a pleasantly tart flavour and used to be a favourite to be added to milk puddings.
Ingredients:
  • 11/2 pounds green gooseberries

  • 1 pint of water
  • 3 pounds of sugar
Methodology: Top and tail the berries, wash through a colander and put in a pan with the water.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time to make sure the fruit does not stick to the pan.
Add the sugar - if first warmed it will dissolve quicker - and heat it up again until the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil and boil briskly for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
Test for setting on a cold saucer and when ready pour into pots and cover.
This will produce a delicious greenish gold jam.
If you prefer your jam green in colour, boil it fast for 8 to 10 minutes.
If you like it reddish brown, cook it more slowly than in the method above.
Yield: 5 pounds approximately of jam.

Green Mint Jelly

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds green gooseberries
  • Cold water
  • 1 dozen stalks of tender fresh green mint
  • Sugar
Methodology: Wash the berries but do not top or tail them.
Put them in a pan and just cover with cold water.
Bring to the boil and cook to a soft pulp.
Strain through a jelly bag (overnight is best) and measure the liquid obtained.
Allow 1 pound of sugar to each pint of juice.
Put the sugar and juice in this proportion in a pan.
Wash the mint well and tie it all together with a piece of fine string.
Add it, keeping an end of the string over the rim of the pan.
Bring slowly to the boil to dissolve the sugar, then boil rapidly until the jelly sets when it is tested. - usually about 15 minutes.
Take out the mint and pour the jelly into small warmed jars.
Cover straight away, as for jam.
If liked, a good tablespoon of freshly chopped mint can also be added toward the end of the cooking time and just before the jelly sets.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:
  • 4 ounces of fresh butter
  • 3 lemons
  • 1/2 pound of sugar

  • 2 eggs.
Methodology: Beat eggs well.
Grate rind from 2 lemons and strain juice from 3 lemons.
Put butter, sugar, rind and juice in pan and put over gentle heat.
Stir until butter is melted and ingredients blended, but do not boil.
Take pan from heat, cool a little, add eggs.
Stir over heat until curd is formed, do not boil.
Turn in small pots/jars.
Cover when cold.

Quick Raspberry Jam

Ingredients:
  • 4 pounds of raspberries
  • 4 pounds sugar
  • a good knob of butter
Methodology: Pick over the fruit and hull it if necessary.
Put it and the sugar in alternate layers in a large bowl and leave in a cool place for 24 hours.
Then put the knob of butter in the preserving pan and turn the contents of the bowl into it.
Bring to the boil to allow the sugar to dissolve completely.
When it reaches boiling point, boil very rapidly for 3 minutes, watching and stirring it most of the time.
Have warmed dry jars ready, stir the jam once or twice more to distribute the fruit and pour into the jars, right up to the neck.
Put on waxed discs and cover at once.
This jam really needs no testing - it will set and keep.
It becomes firmer with keeping.
Yield: about 7 pounds of jam.

Rhubarb and Apricot Jam

Ingredients:
  • 3 pounds red rhubarb
  • 1 pound dried apricots
  • 1 pint water
  • 41/2 pounds of sugar
Methodology: Wash and cut up rhubarb finely, cover with 3 pounds of sugar and set aside for 24 hours.
Cut apricots up small, cover with the water and soak for 24 hours.
Put all together in the preserving pan and add the remaining 11/2 pounds of sugar.

Bring slowly to the boil to dissolve the sugar, then boil rapidly until setting point is reached, stirring occasionally to prevent the jam sticking to the pan.
Allow 30 to 35 minutes, but test occasionally and pot.
Yield: 7-8 pounds of jam.

Rhubarb Jam

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds of rhubarb
  • 2 pounds of sugar
  • 1 ounce whole ginger (optional)
Methodology: Put rhubarb and sugar in layers in basin for 24 hours.
Put in preserving pan.
Bring slowly to boil, boil for 15-20 minutes.
Test on cold plate, skim and turn into pots.
If wished, 1 ounce of whole ginger can be used to flavour jam.

Three Fruit Marmalade

Ingredients:
  • 3 sweet oranges
  • 1 grapefruit
  • 1 lemon
  • 2 kg of sugar with pectin
  • 1/4 pint of grapefruit juice

  • 21/2 pints of water
Methodology: Scrub the fruit and cut up roughly, discarding the pips and pith from the grapefruit.
Mince into a large bowl.
Add the water and leave to soak overnight.
Put contents of bowl into a preserving pan, add the grapefruit juice and bring to the boil, simmer for 1 hour.
The contents of pan should weigh no more than 2kg at this stage.
Add the sugar with pectin and stir until dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 4 minutes.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute peel, then pot and cover.
Yield: 10 pounds.

Orange and Pineapple Marmalade

Ingredients:
  • 1 kg sweet oranges
  • 2 kg sugar with pectin
  • 11/3 pints unsweetened pineapple juice

  • 1 lemon's juice
  • 1/2 pint of water
Methodology: Wash 1 kg of sweet oranges, peel and preserve peel from two of them, discard pith, cut peel into strips.
Slice rest of oranges to remove pips, and place in a food processor with the first two oranges, mince finely.
Place in large preserving pan with the 1/2 pint of water, and peel.

Simmer until soft for 30-45 minutes.
Add the sugar with pectin, the pineapple and lemon juices, and stir until sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil vigorously for 4 minutes.
Allow to stand for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to distribute the peel, then pot and cover.
Yield: 8 pounds.

Rowan and Apple Jelly

Ingredients:

    Quantity as desired of:
  • Rowan berries
  • Crab apples
  • Sugar

    For each 2 quarts of juice in muslin bag:
  • Peel of 1 lemon
  • 2 cloves
Methodology: Pick rowan berries from the stalk, wash and put in pan with a few peeled and sliced crab apples.
Cover with water to level of fruit and simmer until pulpy.
Strain overnight in a jelly bag.
Measure juice and add 1 pound of sugar to every pint.
Bring to boil, stirring occasionally.
Add lemon and cloves and boil rapidly until it will set when cold.
Remove seasoning and pot.

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds strawberries
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 11/2 pounds of sugar
Methodology: Smear pan with butter.
Put strawberries in pan and cover with the sugar and leave overnight.
Slowly dissolve sugar over heat.
Bring to boil, add lemon juice and fast boil for 8 minutes.
Test by placing a teaspoonful of the mixture on a saucer, when ready to set it will "wrinkle" slightly when moved.
When ready, stir well and put into warmed jars.
Leave to cool before covering.

Vegetable Marrow Jam

Ingredients:
  • 6 pounds cleaned marrow
  • 3 lemons
  • 1/2 pound preserved ginger

  • 3 pints apple juice
  • 1 pound of sugar to every pound of marrow and every pint of juice.
Methodology: Put marrows, sugar, ginger and sliced lemons into a basin and leave overnight.
Add juice and boil together for approximately 1 hour.
Remove lemon skins after the jam has boiled 10 minutes.

Chutneys

Storage of chutneys:
Metal lids are not suitable without cellophane covers underneath, so check the jars/bottles you intend using.
All chutney should be stored ideally for at least three months before using.
This causes them to mature and mellow in flavour (a really freshly-made chutney, could be too harsh and vinegary if tasted).
A cool dark place is usually best, and in these days of central heating, under the bed in the spare bedroom is a good place.
Failing that, a covered box in the garage or garden shed would do.


Piccalilli or Mustard Pickle

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 medium cauliflower.

  • 2 or 3 courgettes
  • 1 pound of onions
  • 1/2 pound of French beans

  • 1/2 cucumber

  • 1/2 green pepper

  • Packet of small whole sweetcorn
  • 3 heaped teaspoonfuls cornflour
  • 2 tablespoonfuls salt
  • 11/4 pints of vinegar

  • 1 teaspoonful turmeric
  • 1 teaspoonful dry mustard
  • 1 teaspoonful ginger
  • 2-3 ounces sugar.
Methodology: Cut all vegetables into very small pieces.
Place in bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoonfuls of salt.
Leave for 12 hours.
Drain vegetables, mix spices plus cornflour with a little vinegar - to a smooth paste.
Bring remaining vinegar and sugar to the boil.
Add vegetables and paste and cook for 10 minutes.
Cool slightly - put into warm jars and cover.

Plum Chutney

Ingredients:
  • 3 pounds Victoria plums; skinned and stoned
  • 1 pound cooking apples
  • 1 pound pears; peeled, cored and cut into pieces.
  • 1 pound onions; peeled and cut fine
  • 11/2 pounds sultanas and raisins; chopped

  • 1 pound soft brown sugar
  • 1 pint of spiced vinegar.
Methodology: Put all together in jelly pan with one packet of pickling spices tied in muslin bag.
Boil till cooked.
Remove bag with contents and bottle.

Sweet & Sour Chutney

Ingredients:
  • 3 pounds cooking apples
  • 1 pound onions
  • 3 pounds of plums
  • 8 cloves garlic
  • 11/2 pints vinegar

    1 pound 12 ounces sugar

  • 6 ounces sultanas
  • 2 heaped teaspoonfuls powdered ginger
  • 2 heaped teaspoonfuls cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoonful pickling spice in muslin bag
Methodology: Chop onions; add with sruched garlic to one cup vinegar in pan.
Cook until soft.
Rough chop peeled apples, stone plums.
Add to pan.
Add all other ingredients, add spice bag.
Bring to boil, stir well, and simmer until thick; around 45 minutes.
Pot and cover whilst hot.

Tomato Chutney

  • 2 pounds tomatoes
  • 2 pounds of apples
  • 2 pounds of onions
  • 1 pound of demerara sugar
  • 1 pint vinegar
  • 1 ounce of whole cloves
Methodology: Skin tomatoes.
Peel, core and chop apples.
Skin and chop onions.
Tie cloves in muslim bag.
Boil all together for 2 hours in pan.
Stir frequently.
Remove bage with cloves.
Put in jars, cover and store.

Page Last Updated - 18/06/2008
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