Preserving Summer

[Mirandar]

Hello!

A quick question about Mes Confitures, I was wondering what the story was with the Green Apple Jelly that is called for in so many of her recipes. First is there an alternative (ferber mentions a longer cooking time, has anyone tried that?) Second, what kind of green apples do you think we should use?

thanks so much!!

[Sentiamo]

There are some GORGEOUS preserves here and its times like this that I wished we in New Zealand were not so isolated!

But...here is a recipe, kinda, that will sort your raspberries out come summer/autumn. I promise that this jam is the brightest coloured, tastiest jam ever.

Oh, and the easiest. But you can only use raspberries, no other types.

Simply use equal weights of granulated sugar and raspberries ( works with frozen also) in seperate oven proof bowls. Heat in 150 deg oven until juice runs from fresh berries, or frozen are VERY hot, and the sugar is very hot to touch. Beat together with a wooden spoon until sugar dissolved. Pot into sterilised, hot jars and cover when cold. Store in refrigerator and use within 6 months or so.

This jam is thinner than a cooked one, but the colour and taste more than makes up for that.

[helenjp]

I had never thought of doing that with frozen raspberries!

Sentiamo, do you have a favorite kiwifruit jam/preserve? At this time of year, I often get the less glorious kiwifruit from the Japanese crop - not such good eating fresh, but good for jam. I like to put ginger with them, but would love some new ideas!

[Eilen]

Hi Mirandar, I think she's talking about using homemade pectin from green unripe apples. In my area you harvest them in early summer. It's to avoid using commercial pectin, which may have an off taste for some people. I could be wrong, as I don't have the book!

Here's a recipe for apple pectin:

http://www.portlandpreserve.com/he-howto.html

It's #4 on the list. Hope that helps.

[Mirandar]

hi Eilen! actually i am in portland too, so that really perfectly answers my question! i guess i will wait for early summer then, and watch the farmers market. thanks a lot!

~Miranda

[Eilen]

Miranda, look at this website too:

http://urbanedibles.org/ It's a website that tells you where you can find fruit and nut trees around town.

It seems silly to pay for unripe apples, when you can ask people with apple trees if you can pick your own. Also a friend told me there are a bunch of apple trees at Powell Butte; I'm going to investigate this summer.

[Mirandar]

That's so awesome! I will definately make use of that. I'm just starting to share my jam with the outside world, and i want it to be all local and great! maybe I'll investigate Powell Butte too!

http://urbanedibles.org/  It's a website that tells you where you can find fruit and nut trees around town.

It seems silly to pay for unripe apples, when you can ask people with apple trees if you can pick your own.  Also a friend told me there are a bunch of apple trees at Powell Butte; I'm going to investigate this summer.

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[Bubbles La Tour]

I tried the strawberry jam again, and it just doesn't set without pectin for me. And actually, I do have another batch all jarred up (I was hoping it would somehow just set up, given enough time) that never set that I'll have to reboil, add more citrus and pectin to.

How ripe are the strawberries you're using? If you're simply cooking strawberries and sugar to the gel point (Boiling point of water + 8 degrees F.) you'll likely have better luck if 1/4 of your berries are slightly underripe. Also, some varietals are better suited to jam than others.

Rather than remaking the stuff, might you consider labeling it as topping instead of jam, suitable for ice cream, waffles, or pancakes?

Good luck this season!

-Bubbles

[amdellutri]

Well, I'm pretty excited. I just signed up for Christine Ferber's Jams, Jellies, Marmalades and Sweet and Sour Chutneys class at The French Pastry School in Chicago in July.

It's a hands-on class and she is teaching her Pear and Fig Jam, Wild Strawberry, Chocolate Jam, Carrot and Ginger Jam and more. We will also do a Shallot Confit and Spiced Bell Pepper Chutney. Sounds like a good class. I can't wait.

I needed some new inspiration since I have been sticking to basic raspberry, blueberry, etc. jams. Although I just did a Peach (used frozen peaches) and Lavender jam that was very good. You just have to be carefull not to use too much lavender or it will taste like soap. I think I'm going to try a Hot Pepper Jelly next weekend.

Angela

[amdellutri]

I was so excited about getting into Ferber's class, I forgot to ask where is everyone getting their jars from. I've found the following for the glass Hexagon and Oval Jars, but they can't tell me if they are microwave or dishware safe. I'm testing in the dishwasher this week. Microwave next week. I'm looking to do large volumes for a business. Anything I should be watching for?

SKS Bottle

http://www.sks-bottle.com/340c/G2.html

Specialty Bottle

http://www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp?P...on=Custom&ID=30

Thanks,

Angela

[amdellutri]

Pille, where did you get the recipe for Cloudberry Jam? For the Bilberry Jam is the recipe similar to a blueberry jam?

Thanks,

Angela

[viva]

What's the report back on Ferber's class, Angela? It sounded wonderful.

The early peaches are coming in here so I made the Texas version of Ferber's white peaches with rose de chine tea... which would be Texas yellow peaches with flor de jamaica tea! I skipped the rose petals as I couldn't find a source where I knew they would be untreated and edible.

Like others here, I found I needed to double the cooking time to reach the given temperature in the recipe. I also reduced the amount of sugar by about 1/3 cup.

I love the ruby color of the tea mixed with the golden yellow of the peaches!

Edited May 11, 2008 by viva (log)

[amdellutri]

Unfortunately, I ended up having to cancel out of the class. I'll be out of the country in July, 08 when it is scheduled. I have friends that took the class last year and they loved it.

I have tried some of her recipes from the book and I also have had to cut back on the sugar and had to cook them longer. The way I look at the recipes is that they are great for getting ideas of different things to try, but you need to figure out what works best for you depending on the ripeness and sweetness of the fruit, etc.

[Joy Manning]

So, I'm trying to become a home canner. Today was my first attempt; I picked strawberries to make jam and then proceeded to mess up the recipe by: using pint jars when it called for half pint jars and also combining 2 quarts strawberries, 1 pack pectin, 1/4-cup bottled lemon juice and 7 cups sugar all at the same time. The instructions say to combine the fruit, pectin and lemon juice, bring that mixture to boil and then add the sugar.

I filled the jars and processed it for 10 minutes. Can anyone tell me how much of a problem it is that I combined all the ingredients in the beginning as opposed to in the steps described? Will these keep safely? Should I just toss them? Help from any experienced canners out there would be very much appreciated.

[lperry]

It will keep because the sugar is a preservative, it just may not gel because packaged pectin is really picky about how and when it works. This is one instance when you really do have to follow directions. The worst case scenario is that you made a bunch of runny strawberry topping that you can use on waffles and ice cream.

Edited to say - if you use powdered pectin the first time, you can recook it using liquid if you really want jam. Be sure to buy one that says to add the pectin after boiling everything else together.

Edited June 9, 2008 by lperry (log)

[andiesenji]

If it doesn't set up, you can use the following process for the already processed and jarred stuff and I personally guarantee it will make anything jell. The term "liquid cement" is for real.

Melinda Lee's solution for un-jelled jelly & etc.

P.S. I do not process cooked jams and jellies if they are poured into the sterilized jars while the stuff is still hot.

Believe me, it does not require processing.

Processing is required when you "cold pack" fruit, peaches, cherries, pears, tomatoes, etc., and pour the cooked syrup over them in the jars.

Because the fruit is not cooked, it must be processed.

Edited June 9, 2008 by andiesenji (log)

[KarenDW]

in some regions where there is higher humidity and lower ambient temperatures, a problem could develop w/ mould. So, processing would be beneficial. I process anything which is going to be given away or sold (i.e., incorporated into a client's meal), just as an extra measure of safety.

In decades of canning and preserving... I've only had a few jars spoil; spoilage was obvious (mould), and the jars in question had not been hot water bath processed.

The sugar in the jam should act as a preservative. But for "jam", you will likely need to cook the mixture again w/ more pectin. Open one jar and decide whether you like the consistency

[CaliPoutine]

Anyone else canning? I just made 5 pints of Ontario strawberry jam without pectin. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it sets up.

I think I'm going to make another batch mixing in some rasberries, blackberries and blueberries. I might add some pomona pectin just for insurance.

[JaneMC]

Anyone else canning?  I just made 5 pints of Ontario strawberry jam without pectin.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it sets up.

I think I'm going to make another batch mixing in some rasberries, blackberries and blueberries.  I might add some pomona pectin just for insurance.

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I've also been canning. I've made strawberry jam (I don't use pectin ever) and I froze cranberries so I have canned them also while it's too hot to turn on the oven I sure can, can. I can't wait for green beans to come in season, blueberries, cherries, and other of course. I'm also going to try my hand a wine jelly with apples instead of pectin. Oh lets not forget in the fall apple butter. My friend came in from the west and cleaned me out of my banana-chocolate jam, blueberry, brandied cherry compote, apple butter and a few others. Time to start getting ready for the holidays....no I didn't say that word did I?

[Marigene]

I am going to do some apricot jam/preserves tonight. I was going to do it this afternoon but decided to do it later when it is a little cooler.

Has anyone tried an apricot/raspberry combo? I have quite a few raspberries and was thinking of using them in jam.

Edited June 23, 2008 by Marigene (log)

[milgwimper]

I just finished making sour cherry jam, and I am in love. Trying not to touch them till winter but it is so hard.

[momcook]

Apricot-Raspberry is very nice. We make it whenever the raspberries are abundant. The 3 berry combo is also good, and we use Pomona in all, to keep the amount of sugar lower. Our raspberries are just starting to come in - hope to make some in the next few weeks.

Anyone else canning?  I just made 5 pints of Ontario strawberry jam without pectin.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it sets up.

I think I'm going to make another batch mixing in some rasberries, blackberries and blueberries.  I might add some pomona pectin just for insurance.

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[momcook]

We made a batch of chocolate covered cherry jam yesterday, with large sweet cherries Hoping to make some strawberry vanilla jam tomorrow.

***

Anyone else canning? I just made 5 pints of Ontario strawberry jam without pectin. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it sets up.

[CaliPoutine]

Apricot-Raspberry is very nice. We make it whenever the raspberries are abundant. The 3 berry combo is also good, and we use Pomona in all, to keep the amount of sugar lower. Our raspberries are just starting to come in - hope to make some in the next few weeks.

Anyone else canning?  I just made 5 pints of Ontario strawberry jam without pectin.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it sets up.

I think I'm going to make another batch mixing in some rasberries, blackberries and blueberries.  I might add some pomona pectin just for insurance.

←

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I used some of the Pomona in the mixed berry jam. It set up beautifully and I only used 2 cups of sugar. I got 6.5 pints out of the batch.

[Abra]

So far this year I've only made cherry jam, but now I have some really nice currants, and the apricots are gorgeous. I'm thinking of doing them together, but only because I don't have a really good currant recipe. Is anyone doing jam or jelly with red currants?