Raspberry jam

[Pepper Pig]

I am a novice jam maker even though I have been making marmalade for over thirty years. I have been gifted about 750g of raspberries. Can someone point me in the direction of a foolproof recipe please? I have bought some preserving sugar in readiness.

[hickybank]

I think most Jam recipes are pretty much the same, my 100 year old book says this
To each 1 lb Raspberry's allow 14 oz Preserving Sugar
Remove stalks, put fruit in pan & simmer very gently heat for a few minutes pressing the fruit against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Simmer for 20 mins, then add sugar, stir till dissolved, then boil fast until the jam sets when tested,
Put in warm jars , cover & store.
It goes on to say.
Note, Raspberry jam is greatly improved with the addition of red Currants,allow 1/2 lb Redcurrants to each 1 lb Raspberry's & 3/4 lb sugar to each 1 lb fruit, make as above

[Pepper Pig]

Most jam recipes I've googled don't seem to be the same as that Hicky. And I did say I'm a novice. I can't be putting maths into the procedure. I just need a tried and tested. Sorry to be a pain.

[suffolk]

I don't think you can go wrong with this one ... it's more or less how I make mine ... with the proviso that I've never done a pectin test for raspberry jam, but I do sometimes use Jam Sugar which contains a bit of pectin, but I used Preserving Sugar because that was what I had in the cupboard last year and it set fine.

Preserving Sugar doesn't contain pectin but it contains larger sugar crystals which make for a clearer/brighter jam/jelly.

http://www.countryfile.com/makeyourownjam

[Seatallan]

Hi PP

Here's a recipe (Beryl Wood) which I've used many times:

2lb raspberries
2.5lb sugar
a wee bit of water

Clean and husk berries and put in pan with just enough water to stop them sticking. Bring slowly to the boil. Add the sugar (it helps if you warm the sugar first) and stir until dissolved. Bring back to the boil and boil until setting point reached (that can vary- I usually reckon around 10 minutes. Just test every 5 minutes or so.)

[hickybank]

Hi Suffs.
That is pretty much the same as mine just a little less sugar in my method, but I think they would turn out the same results

[Pepper Pig]

Thanks all. I'll let you know how I get on. Bloody kilograms..

[StokeySue]

Mum and I used to make it this way
No added pectin or water
About the proportions of sugar to fruit hicky gives, slightly less sugar than fruit
Mix sugar and fruit, stir to mix and leave to macerate overnight
Boil up until set
The advantage of the maceration is that the boiling time is much less, so you get better colour and flavour
We left it fairly runny.

[hickybank]

Mine was fairly runny, but it sticks to the bread & that is how I like it.

[Pepper Pig]

That sounds sensible Sue. And doable tonight. Thanks.

Interesting that Sea's recipe has more sugar than fruit though.

[earthmaiden]

As a novice jam maker a few years ago I followed instructions from IaninFrance's La Souvigne website and have since made jam from various fruits very successfully every time using his guidelines. When I made strawberry I used the sugar which contains pectin just to be sure it set. I had some left over which I used to make gooseberry and it set quite hard. I think ideally I would only use the pectin-enriched sugar for fruits which don't contain much pectin.

http://souvigne.com/recipes/misc170.htm

[StokeySue]

I have a book called the Microwave Gourmet by Barbara Kafka. She has recipes for making small amounts of jam in a microwave, her point being that if you have a garden it is useful to be able to make small amounts of jam often as the bowls mount up in the fridge or pantry. Doesn't heat you up too much either
I haven't tried, but it does make sense put like that way

Here's the WI version
https://www.thewi.org.uk/what-we-do/recipes/jams-and-other-preserves/microwave-raspberry-jam

As I have a good instant reading thermometer I'd probably use that to test for doneness

The temperatures required for setting point are:
Jams and marmalades: between 104 degrees and 105.5 degrees
Jellies: between 104 degrees and 105 degrees

Presumably that's Celsius

[Seatallan]

The advantage of the maceration is that the boiling time is much less, so you get better colour and flavour

Yes, I always do that with strawberries. It helps to prevent the fruit from breaking up too much as well.

Interesting that Sea's recipe has more sugar than fruit though.

Recipes do vary quite a bit in the ratio of fruit to sugar. I have quite a few raspberry-based recipes for jam/jelly/conserve but the Beryl Wood one is the simplest.

[karadekoolaid]

My mum made jam every year for about 70 years
Her rule of thumb was 1 lb (or kilo) fruit to 1 lb (or kilo) sugar, and generally speaking, that worked.
When I started making jam over HERE, I used the same rule, but soon found that the jams were way too sweet for my liking. Must be that cane sugar is sweeter than beet sugar, I suppose.
Now I use the 80% rule: 1 lb (kilo) fruit to 13 oz (800 gms) sugar.

[TeresaFoodie]

I am severely salivating here. I don't think that amount of raspberries at this time of year would make it as far as the preserving pan. I really am looking forward to reading the report once made. It may encourage me to try jam making again. The one and only time I tried was with plums from the garden. Rock hard. Couldn't get a spoon through it.

[karadekoolaid]

Rock hard. Couldn't get a spoon through it.

That`s because you cooked the jam for too long, and at a high temperature. The sugar became toffee!!

[StokeySue]

Must be that cane sugar is sweeter than beet sugar, I suppose.

They are chemically identical (99.99999% sucrose), and the Tate and Lyle's you mum used will almost certainly have been West Indian cane sugar.
I suspect any extra sweetness is due to using tropical fruit and perhaps your more grown up palate too.

[Seatallan]

That`s because you cooked the jam for too long, and at a high temperature. The sugar became toffee!!

It's happened to me before now more than once and for some reason, always with strawberries.

[Pepper Pig]

OK. Is all steeping as per Stokey Sue. As an aside what do you reckon the best sterilising method is? Am a dishwasher person myself.

[suffolk]

When I had a dishwasher that was what I used. Nowadays I give them a thorough wash in hot water, drain and put in the oven at about 130C for 15/20 mins.

[scullion]

i go for belt and braces, i wash them in the dishwasher but then, when i use them, i bring them up to 150°c in the oven (the lowest our oven will go) for the last 15 mins of cooking time, so they're at a good temperature for filling with hot preserve.

[Pepper Pig]

Ah. I don't pot them hot. Should I? (The pots are hot , the marmalade has gone a bit warm).

[scullion]

if it works for you carry on as you are but as we don't get through the jam or all the pickles i make that quickly i tend to pot as hot as i can - as i said, belt and braces.

[suffolk]

I always pot hot ... saves the danger of cracked jars as well as improving the keeping quality.

[TeresaFoodie]

Rock hard. Couldn't get a spoon through it.

That`s because you cooked the jam for too long, and at a high temperature. The sugar became toffee!!

That makes sense. I was probably too keen!

[Pepper Pig]

All done and very successful. Thanks all. I think I cold get hooked on this. (So much less faff than marmalade).

[Seatallan]

Glad it turned out PP.

I'm hopelessly addicted to making preserves of all sorts.

[earthmaiden]

Glad it turned out well ... now you just need some crusty bread and posh butter

[Pepper Pig]

I've been to Waitrose where the designer strawberries had been marked down to a third of the asking price so it's strawberry jam time tomorrow.

[scullion]

i hope you picked up a pot of rodda's to go with it (and the scones).

[Pepper Pig]

Good idea!

[Pepper Pig]

OK. So the strawberry jam is done. Much more scummy than the raspberry. Tastes fine and set fine but I tried to stir the scum in and it wouldn't.

[StokeySue]

No, we used to skim the scum off strawberries, put itin a little bowl, it sort of set like jam so fresh jam for tea!
Glad the raspberry worked well

[hickybank]

OK. So the strawberry jam is done. Much more scummy than the raspberry. Tastes fine and set fine but I tried to stir the scum in and it wouldn't.

I always skim off the scum as it appears

Glad it turned out well for you.
My moment of heaven is when I bake my bread each week , as soon as it has cooled down enough but still nice & warm, butter & home made jam

[Seatallan]

You always seem to get gallons of scum with strawberries (in my experience, strawberry jam also has a tendency to bubble over the preserving pan like something from Macbeth ). PP- invest in a scum-removing spoon if you're going to make more jam as they're dead useful. The other trick is to stir in a teaspoon of butter once you've removed the majority of the scum. It magically dissolves the rest.