Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Eating and Drinking => Cooking, Storing and Preserving => Topic started by: Elcie on July 23, 2009, 21:13

Title: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: Elcie on July 23, 2009, 21:13
Well, I decided last year that I wanted to make chutneys and jams and the release of Val's book prompted me in the right direction.  Had a look through and saw a few recipes I wanted to make.  Asked on here for advice regarding equipment and my jam making pan from Lakeland arrived today.

Out of coincidence, someone posted some plums on freecycle.  I was lucky to be chosen for them and decided that plum jam would be the first jam for me to make.

Looked at the recipe in the book, need 1.8kg.  Ok.  Start destoning the plums.  Thinking that this is going quite well, got 100g already and have loads of plums left over.  Ah, realise that 100g is not over half way to 1800g and that I am going to be there for a long time destoning the plums!

Starting to get near the end of my plum supply and am no where near the 1800g required so decide to make a half batch to try it out.  Probably for the best, have never done this before.

Add water, begin to simmer fruit.  Smells delicious, reminds me of the crumbles my mum used to make.  Test for pectin (remembered the spirit from the chemist earlier), oh dear, no where near ready.  Keep simmering.  Decide to measure out the sugar and, OH YES, now I remember, I used half the plums but all the water!  That is probably why the pectin test didn't work for the plums although they shouldn't need any added to it according to the book.

OK, drain some of the water, hope this helps, fingers crossed.

Simmer.  Test for pectin.  Repeat 7 times until half the bottle of spirits has gone and I am wondering if jam is my thing!

Decide to go for it.  Add the sugar, stir, jars are in the oven sterilising.  Get the thermometer and leave to boil until I can see it reaching temp, stiring lots of course!  Plate in the fridge, test for setting, doesn't work. Try again x 2 - then we get there.

Funnel in jar, put in jam mixture but it is moving very slowly through the funnel.  Well, actually, not at all.  Get a skewer and unblock the funnel.  Oh dear, now the jam is pouring through the funnel and the jar is filling, oops, jam on outside of jar too!

But.  I get there.  And do you know what, I am so so proud of myself for making jam tonight.  Had a little taste, as did the kids, and it is delicious.  Thank you so much to Val and everyone on this site who makes me think that I can do these things even when I have never done anything like it before.  Honestly, it is completely new and I am so grateful to this site and its members for motivating me to do more than buy a jar of jam from the supermarket.

Sadly, I have taken a picture of the jam jars!

(http://i510.photobucket.com/albums/s346/LisaCrane2008/SDC10391.jpg)
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: Kate and her Ducks on July 23, 2009, 21:30
That is not sad at all!

Congratulations! It's a great feeling isn't it? Be proud of yourself.
My first jam making expidition was the family marmalade recipe which my Grandad entrusted to me, handed down through the generations. I was too scared to change anything in the recipe in case it didn't work and ended up with 8 litres of marmalade!!!!
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: joyfull on July 23, 2009, 21:32
well done, plum jam is the first thing I am going to make from Vals book as well - I too am a jam virgin  :D
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: Roll Roll on July 24, 2009, 11:00
That is not sad at all!

Congratulations! It's a great feeling isn't it? Be proud of yourself.
My first jam making expidition was the family marmalade recipe which my Grandad entrusted to me, handed down through the generations. I was too scared to change anything in the recipe in case it didn't work and ended up with 8 litres of marmalade!!!!

Very nice it was too. Thank you Kate. :D
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: matilda duck on July 24, 2009, 17:21
Well done and its not sad.  I couldn't do a thing like jams, chutneys, home made bread!!
Well now theres no stopping me!!1  I posted pictures of my jam, cakes and bread all from the same day :lol: 

One of my friends asked why it wasn't just easier to go to ASDA????? :ohmy: Well 'cause it gives me a sense of pride in what I make, and I know whats gone in the recipe :tongue2:

Well done you!!!!! :nowink:
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: chrissie B on July 25, 2009, 19:51
for future reference someone told me last year about putting dark chocolate in the plum jam and that was realy nice just for a change .
chrissie b
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: SMD66 on July 28, 2009, 13:53
I'm just making my second batch after burning the 1st lot yesterday.  :(
glad yours turned out well.
well done  :D
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: andreadon on July 30, 2009, 12:17
Well done Elcie!

(http://bestsmileys.com/cheering/3.gif)

my first attempt at jam was cherry and it was so hard you couldn't even get a sharp knife into it when it was cold!

(that's what microwaves were invented for.... heat up a little bit then spread it on your toast)

I'm so glad that yours worked well!
 :D
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: Moosey on July 30, 2009, 16:26
Congratulations!  :D  Its such a great feeling isn't it.  My first jam was apple and blackberry and it was sooo yummy that I was truly amazed I had made it myself!

There will be no stopping you now!  :lol:
Title: Re: Plum jam - not a recipe but a thank you!
Post by: Poolfield2 on July 30, 2009, 20:37
Welcome to the jam club Elcie :lol: Val has got us all jamming this year. The supermarkets will have to reduce their orders cos we're noy buying it anymore but we need loads of sugar!!