CHUTNEYS & PRESERVES PECTIN LEVELS
HIGH
Citrus fruits such as limes, lemons and oranges
Jam
In Issue 4 of FOODLOVER we presented a step-by-step jam making recipe, which hopefully inspired some of you FOODLOVERs to make use of the summer strawberry crop. This method is a universal one however, and can be used to make most jams. Here we present some handy jam-making tips and recipes to utilise the bounty of fruits now available to preserve.
TOP TIP
Never use damaged fruit! Either cut away or discard any bruised or part of the fruit.
Pectin is key to successful jam making. When you add sugar to your fruit and heat, the natural pectin within the fruit (the substance that “glues” all the cells within the fruit together) is activated and acts as a setting agent, allowing your jam to form. If there isn’t enough pectin, your jam will not set.
Berries such as cranberries, loganberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants
Tree top fruit such as quinces and apples.
MODERATE
Stone fruit such as peaches, plums and apricots
Raspberries,
blueberries, early varieties of blackberries, blackberry hybrids and other bramble fruit.
LOW
Tree fruits such as figs, cherries, nectarines, pears
Soft berry fruits such as
late varieties of blackberries, strawberries and elderberries.
Rhubarb
Use standard recipe outlined in Issue 4, using more sugar than fruit.
Ordinary granulated sugar can be used
Combine with fruit high in pectin
Use a high
fruit-to-sugar weight ratio
Alternatively, add extra pectin and acid in the form of liquid pectin, or for a natural version lemon or redcurrant juice
Use special preserving/jam sugar for best results
APPLE & CHERRY JAM
This favourite combines two fabulous flavours which are both right in season. The high pectin levels in the apples mean no additional pectin should be needed.
225g cooking apples (after peeling and coring)
75ml water 500g ripe dessert cherries 700g sugar
1 Simmer apple with water until they start to soften 2 Add cherries and continue cooking
until they soften but remain unbroken
3 Manually remove as many stones as possible 4 Add sugar and stir until dissolved
5 Bring to a rapid boil, then test for a set at regular intervals
BLACKBERRY JAM
These berries really are in abundance around this time of year, and make a delightful breakfast or dessert jam. Additional pectin is required, so lemon juice is used in this method.
900g blackberries Juice of 1 lemon
Sugar (quantity dependent on weight of cooked fruit)
1 Simmer fruit and lemon juice until soft and breaking
2 Sieve into measuring jug to remove pips, taking note of volume
3 Pour blackberries back into pan and reheat
4 Add 450g of sugar to each pint (568ml) of pulp. Stir in until all sugar is dissolved
5 Bring to a rapid boil, then test for a set at regular intervals
FOODLOVERMAGAZINE.COM | 39
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