I always thought people who make jam must be slightly bonkers and definitely fully paid-up members of the Women’s Institute (nowt wrong with that I hear you cry and you’d be quite right – but I’ve personally never felt quite ready for the jam and Jerusalem bit).
This resolute refusal to get my pinny on and get the glass jars ready, held steady even when a good mate gave me a beautiful illustrated book on jam making. It even withstood the arrival in my cupboard of a large preserving pan (I bought it to make some mulled wine actually). It even held out through the occasional gift of homemade chutney from the same friend – after all why make it myself when she does it so well!
But I have at last capitulated and plan to get the preserving pan down from the dusty top shelf, beg, borrow and withold from the recycling, some glass jars, and try my hand at making some jam.
Why?
Well I so enjoyed the couple of jars of homemade jam I was lucky enough to receive this year (thank you Hilary for the homegrown homemade peach jam and Eileen for the homegrown homemade plum jam – but how come I didn’t get a jar of the chili jam sis? – and Joan no jam at all this year – boo hoo!) – and they simply didn’t last long enough.
Secondly it looks like I am going to get a big crop of figs. There’s only so much Parma ham a girl can eat – and so I was inspired to take the beautiful book my friend bought me off the top shelf and have become seduced by the idea of Fig Marmalade and Figs in Wine. (I’ll let you know when I’ve tried them…..). On top of that I have a huge crop of rose hips that last year I left for the birds and they ended up staining my paving stones so blow that – I’m having them myself this year.
Finally all my jam-making mates, whether of the WI or not, have waxed so lyrical about the joys of making jams, syrups and chutneys that I simply have to have a go. After all I’ve already walked on hot coals, whitewater rafted, upholstered a chair, learned to dive and swum in the Amazon. It’s too late to have babies and I already know how to knit.
So I have decided I will do it and chronicle the results in my Confessions of a Reluctant Jam Maker. Coming soon. Watch this space. Learn from my screw-ups before you make them yourselves!
Meanwhile if you do want to try yourself I have been well advised that Maslin make the best preserving pans. This one is a bit pricey at just under £50, but there’s a cheaper version here
>> and if you want to take advantage of all the plentiful strawberries we have at the moment try Hilary’s strawberry jam recipe
Posted by eileen riddiford (unregistered) on July 22, 2009 at 9:21am
Good for you Clare- you'll find the jam making enormously satisfying. But beware, if it's good it can work against you. people will realise you make good jam and are generous and then they won;t bother having a go themselves or will expect to get gifts right left and centre. There's no point making it if you give it ALL away! It's valuable- not so much in what it costs you for the raw ingredients but in time and effort. P.S. I only make 4 small jars of chilli jam at a time so.....make some yourself!! Invest in a good funnel - cleaning hot spillages off from around the edges of the jars is a pain- but beware the lakeland one is quite wide and does not fit most jars. However their preserving pan is excellent- expensive but a good stainless steel investment. Eil