Jam.....

[Biddlybee]

Could you post up a recipe mr steev? I got a glut of damsons from my brother last year and made jam, gin and rum... but don't eat much jam, so like the sound of wine

 

[mr steev]

Winemaking Ingredients: Damson Wine - Wine Making Guides
3 lb / 1,350 grams damsons
3 lb / 1,350 grams sugar
1 tablespoon pectin enzyme
Water up to 1 gallon
Yeast nutrient
Wine yeast

Winemaking Method: Damson Wine - Wine Making Guides
Place the damsons in a fermentation bucket and add the boiling water. Add the sugar and stir until completely dissolved. When cool add the pectin enzyme, yeast nutrient and wine yeast. Cover and leave to ferment for two days, stirring daily. Strain into a demijohn and fit an airlock to seal the jar.

Store in a warm place and allow the fermentation to work. When fermentation has ceased, rack the wine into a clean jar and place in a cooler environment and leave. When the wine is clear and stable siphon into bottles.

We actually messed up the first few gallons of ours as we made a daft mistake (on account of being quite stoned when making it!) and forgot to allow the space 15lb of damsons and 15lb of sugar would take up in a 5 gallon brewing bucket. So half of ours had less water. It gave a gravity reading slightly higher than the other lot - one was around 11.5% the other more like 12.5% They both taste slightly different now they've matured a bit. The one with more water tastes younger and the other has a slight hint of sloe gin about it, but it is still very drinkable We also left it in the fermenting bucket for a couple more days.

 

[Biddlybee]

Cheers will keep my fingers crossed for a damson glut up north now.

 

[temper_tantrum]

BTW, when the recipe says "boil briskly for 10 minutes" or whatever, ignore this. The recipes are full of shit. It usually takes more like an hour and a half to reach setting point.

Hmm This could have been it. I think I added too much water, so the pectin wasn't enough, effectively. I probably should have boiled for much longer, to reduce it down a lot. Anyway, JAM FAIL
I'm sticking to chutney from now on. Much easier.

 

[pinkmonkey]

I found it really easy. I realised the plums I have are probably Mirabelles or similar, definitely not damsons so I decided to make this:

http://www.cooksister.com/2009/11/mirabelle-and-ginger-jam.html

It turned out well, didn't have any problems getting it to set. The most tedious part was getting the stones out, I swear I had to simmer the fruit for about an hour in order to do so, even before I added the sugar. It then took about 15 minutes. I did use a jam thermometer, though.

I'm gonna go fruit picking again.

 

[Biddlybee]

ooh, I think there is someone down our road with a miabelle tree in their garden, do they look a bit like small apricots?

Is it a bit cheeky to knock on their door and ask if I can pinch some for jam?

 

[pinkmonkey]

Yes they look like very small apricots. I also got cherry plums, which look more like cherries than plums but are definitely plums, just really tiny and sweet. I was so chuffed with the results I got some more and made another batch last night. My main tip is to simmer the fruit and water for what seems like an age (with a lid on the pan) so the fruit breaks down sufficiently that the pips separate , I reckon I did this for about 2 hours before I added the sugar.

 

[Biddlybee]

I think I might bite the bullet and go and ask them then, loads are falling off all over the pavement, so fingers crossed

I've made plum jam two ways - victoria plums I sat and took all the stones out; one batch of damsons I didn't, and they just wouldn't float to the surface, so ended up having to sieve the jam (through a colander).

 

[RubyToogood]

I really need to make some jam. Might go blackberrying if I'm going to take time off in a couple of weeks.

 

[Maurice Picarda]

I hate Sebastian Coe.

 

[Biddlybee]

I really need to make some jam. Might go blackberrying if I'm going to take time off in a couple of weeks.

I could see how I go with the maribelle house if you fancy that? Although I can't imagine making jam in this heat, and they might say no

I hate Sebastian Coe.

eh?

 

[Maurice Picarda]

eh?

All this jam business. You could make more money auctioning dogs.

 

[Biddlybee]

I don't do it to make money

 

[temper_tantrum]

So my mother sent me a book in the post. 'How To Make Jam'.
Fuck it. Chutney all the way, I can do chutney.

 

[RubyToogood]

I could see how I go with the maribelle house if you fancy that? Although I can't imagine making jam in this heat, and they might say no

eh?

Well I've booked the week after next off if you want to repeat the Ruby & Bee's holiday craft workshop?

 

[RubyToogood]

Update: I managed to get some damsons and Victoria plums from Hayes St Farm (which have no PYO at the mo by the way) and did a teeny batch of damson and a huge one of plum. Biddly will be interested to know that the damson came out almost identical to hers, ie a bit on the stiff side. It must be loaded with pectin because I barely boiled it at all.

Both batches are ok, didn't add any lemon which I usually do to everything. The stones from the damsons came out nicely in cooking (though I wouldn't say they floated to the top exactly), the ones from the plums didn't and if I was doing it again I'd at least halve the plums first.

 

[campanula]

mmmm damson cheese - do you put it through muslin (it's not 'muslim' is it?). We eat shedloads of jelly - make about 50lbs a year - in truth, I loved all this earthmother stuff when i started but am now fed up and bored (greedy sods at home are all expectant now) - have ordered another cherry for the allotment because they are just eaten without any extra noodling about processing. Ketchup at the moment - you can smell our house right down the road and everyone is walking around with red eyes and hot sinus moans.....and, grief, the amount of tomatoes for each jar of sauce!

 

[Lorelei]

Blackberries are out in force right now, I've seen people picking all over, going to take a basket myself for later.

 

[Biddlybee]

Well I've booked the week after next off if you want to repeat the Ruby & Bee's holiday craft workshop?

I only just saw this - but I'm def up for another crafty week next year, jam and sewing

 

[Wilson]

Moi plums are ripe