Matt saw what was going on in the kitchen and decided he better supervise the jam making. Good thing it's not as hot as it has been. All this boiling really heats up the house. I ended up with 9 pints of lovely blueberry jam and three of strawberry. Some lessons learned: follow the directions that say crush the fruit. I have a lot of fruit floating on the top half of the jar and mostly liquid on the bottom. Also, use the butter that is supposed to lessen the foam on top (which I only got on the strawberries, not the blueberries). Anyway, I think the whole thing is just fascinating. I've paid as much as $7.00 for a tiny jar of jam. I know I shouldn't admit to such extravagance, but that's how I feel about jam. I'm hoping to find more local blueberries at the farmer's market again this weekend. None of this faraway, tiny, sad little berries, but big, juicy berries that burst with flavor. Won't they taste good when the world is frozen outside and we're remembering the joys of summer.
we have a wild bush out back...come pick whenever you like! They are small because they aren't cultivated berries though.
ReplyDeleteHere is some things I learned from my Jam-making days:
ReplyDelete1. If you do not crush the strawberries you end up with preserves, not jam. That, my friend, is wonderful. As the time goes by (yes, you have to let it age) the berries will harden and become similar to candied fruit. That is what I loved so much when I was a kid.
2. Do not use butter. Instead skim the foam as it appears onto the plate. Continue skimming and skimming until the jam is done foaming. Let the foam cool. That was the best treat in my childhood! The taste of the berries is very intense, the texture us light. Try it - you will not be sorry!
You made me so hungry for jam-making! I loved doing it when we lived upstate.
Thanks, Henya, so I have made preserves. You're right, I forgot about preserves. What is a "conserve" I wonder. I've heard of that in the past. Glad I made it yesterday, as today is as sticky and humid as it's been all summer and I wouldn't want to be standing over the boiling pot again.
ReplyDeleteA "conserve" will have spices and nuts in it.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as they mature fruits will start to sink.