Making Jam is incredibly easy and you don’t need any special equipment. This could also be a great gift at Christmas time, as we all appreciate a home made present.
Blackberry Jam
Ingredients
300g/10½oz fresh blackcurrants
300g/10½oz granulated or caster sugar
1 small lemon, juice only
Method
- Pick all the stalks from the blackcurrants, place the fruit in a saucepan, cover with 250ml/9fl oz water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the skins of the currants are very tender and the liquid has almost evaporated.
- Add the sugar and lemon juice, bring to the boil then cook until the mixture reaches105C/220F if you have a sugar thermometer, or boil rapidly and keep checking for a set. You can do this by putting some saucers in the freezer, and then spoon a small amount of boiling jam onto the chilled plate, allow to cool, and if when pushed with your finger the jam goes wrinkly it is set.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes then pour into hot, clean jars and seal immediately.
This jam is delicious spread on hot buttered toast or freshly baked bread!
Orange and Ruby Grapefruit
Ingredients
1.2 kg oranges (about 5)
800 gm ruby grapefruit (about 3)
4 large lemons
2 kg white sugar
Srapedseeds of 2 vanilla beans
Method
- Remove peel from fruit with a vegetable peeler, slice peel thinly and place in a saucepan with 2 litres water.
- Squeeze juices into pan, reserving seeds.
- Coarsely chop half the juiced fruit (discard remainder), tie up with seeds in a piece of muslin and add to pan. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, half-cover with a lid and simmer until liquid reduces by half (45 minutes-1 hour), then refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 180C. Spread sugar in an even layer in a roasting pan and warm in oven.
- Meanwhile, squeeze liquid from muslin bag into pan and discard bag.
- Bring fruit mixture to the boil over medium-high heat, add sugar and vanilla seeds, stir to dissolve sugar.
- Return to the boil, cook without stirring until mixture reaches setting point (10-15 minutes).
- Stand until slightly thickened (20-30 minutes), stir to distribute peel evenly through mixture, ladle into sterilised jars and seal.
Note You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead; it makes about 1.8 litres.