It appears I have become a jam maker this summer so I’m sorry if jam is not your thing! Even my daughter has got the bug by proxy, so when we went fruit picking recently instead of thinking about eating the fruits of our labour when we got home we had jam on our minds. It seems that the combinations of fruits are endless and there really are no rules about what goes with what, mother nature has done all the hard work. I do know that barely ripe fruits are best for jam making so picking your own fruit and then making it straight into jam is ideal. I did have the dilemma as to whether I should wash my raspberries and in the end decided that as I’d picked really firm, only just ripe ones I would (I span them dry in my herb spinner which worked well). I don’t like the thought of pesticides in my jam especially for my children but it is important not to have wet fruit or it will affect the set of your jam. Kitchen roll is also good for drying fruit.
Beautiful fruit makes beautiful jam:-)
I was very pleased with this jam as the redcurrants gave the jam a fresh tang and we all enjoyed it on my Spelt & Wholemeal No-knead Loaf which I made with white and wholemeal flour for a change.
As it’s summer holiday time, forgive me for not doing the usual step by step guide, I think you can refer to all my other jam posts if you’d like to see one.
As this recipe is totally made from scratch I am entering it into Javelin Warrior’s Cookin w’Luv “Made with Love Mondays” challenge.
Strawberry, Raspberry & Redcurrant Jam
Ingredients
- 650 g Granulated Sugar
- 385 g Strawberries halve any big ones
- 130 g Redcurrants
- 130 g Raspberries
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice + ½ lemon skin
- 10 g Butter
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit the night before by washing and drying thoroughly putting in a glass bowl with the sugar, lemon juice and lemon skin.
- The next day put 3 saucers in the freezer for testing the set.
- Put the fruit mixture into a preserving pan and slowly heat to dissolve all the sugar crystals.
- Then bring the pan to a rolling boil and time for 10 minutes, then take off the heat.
- Put a drop of jam on a cold saucer and leave for a couple of minutes then run your finger through it. If it’s ready it will crinkle slightly.
- If it’s not ready boil for another 2 minutes at a time and repeat the test.
- Once ready remove scum with a spoon and stir through the butter to remove the excess. (I found this jam particularly scummy).
- Ladle the jam into warm sterilized jars and seal with a lid immediately. If using wax discs put them on the hot jam let the jam cool and then put on the cellophane lids with elastic bands.
Recipe Notes
To sterilize jars and lids either take them from the dishwasher or pour boiling water into them and then heat for 20 minutes in the oven at 120°C and leave in oven until jam is ready.
Mine is sooo runny but said it was at setting point. Hmm will serif it sets
Watch my Instagram story, you’ll see how runny my jam was yesterday but it set well:-}
You don’t say when to remove the lemon rind? Also, can you use brown sugar in part?
Thank you.
Hi Antoinette, just remove before you pot up. I have never used brown sugar in jam making so can’t say what effect this would have. In principle you could use it but personally the flavour that is would bring wouldn’t appeal to me.
I am feeling summery today and taking note of the HUGE amount of red currants I have coming on the bushes! I thought you would have a recipe so this will be on must do list!
Aaw thanks:-)
Jam is my favourite thing to make, its almost cathartic
Totally agree with that Natally:-)
Great with my toast.
worth the effort to make home made jam if baking a victoria sponge
I’ve always wanted to make jam but have never been brave enough, but this makes me feel confident to give it a go
Excellent, let me know how you get on:-)
I could really manage that on some thick toast!
What a lovely way of using some of the huge surplus of fruit that’s now sitting in my freezer 🙂