Always use fresh, dry and slightly under ripe fruit, only wash it if necessary and if you do have to wash it, make sure to dry it thoroughly.
2. Simmer The Fruit Before Adding The Sugar
At the start of your recipe, we recommend to always simmer the fruit on its own before adding any sugar or other ingredients. This will draw out the pectin and allows the fruit to soften. If you are working with hard fruits, then always add a little water to the pan during stewing, this will help to soften the fruit and skin.
It is important to do this before adding sugar because once sugar is added the fruit/skins will not soften any further.
3. Add A Knob Of Butter
To prevent scum forming on the top of your jam, add a knob of butter to your fruit at the same time as you add the sugar, we recommend 20 grams per 1 kilogram of fruit.
Note: Scum is nothing sinister, it is only air bubbles that are created during the cooking process, they will not ruin your jam/marmalade if they form. If you do not want to add butter to your preserve, then you can remove the scum by either stirring the jam in the same direction continuously until it has dispersed or using a slotted spoon skim the jam to remove the scum.
4. Allow To Warm Before Boiling
To help keep the fruit in your jam/marmalade whole or in chunky pieces allow the sugar and fruit mixture to warm up gently before bringing it to the boil.
5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling
Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.
6. Once The Setting Point Has Been Reached Allow The Pan To Rest
To help make sure that the fruit is evenly distributed throughout your jam or marmalade, allow the pan to rest for 10 minutes after setting point has been reached. This will give the mixture time to thicken a little bit more which should help to hold the fruit in its place. If the fruit rises to the surface during this time then stir the preserve to re-distribute it and pot immediately.
Turn the heat up and boil rapidly until the marmalade reaches setting point – a sugar thermometer will be helpful here (start checking when it reaches 104C) but to confirm this, put a teaspoonful of the marmalade on to a cold saucer and put in the fridge for a minute or so.
Turn the heat up and boil rapidly until the marmalade reaches setting point – a sugar thermometer will be helpful here (start checking when it reaches 104C) but to confirm this, put a teaspoonful of the marmalade on to a cold saucer and put in the fridge for a minute or so.
Once you think that your jam has reached its setting point or has thickened, spoon a bit of the jam on the cold plate and tilt it vertically so the jam runs. You are aiming for a slow descent, not a runny mess. If it runs slow, it's set!
Allow the marmalade to cool then push it using your finger. If the preserve has reached setting point then it will wrinkle. If you only see a very slight wrinkle, the setting point has not been reached so return the pan to the heat and continue to boil for another 1-2 minutes and then repeat the testing process.
Setting point for jam is 105c (220F) so a good way to test for setting point is to have a sugar thermometer clipped to the side of your saucepan, with the end dipped in the boiling jam mixture. Once the boiling mixture has reached the correct temperature then your jam should set.
Enter the spoon: Before you start your jam, set a plate with a few metal spoons in the freezer. Then, when the foam has subsided and the bubbles have slowed, place a small dollop of jam onto one of the freezing-cold spoons and let it sit in the freezer for 5 minutes.
The jam should come down as a whole mass forming U shape. Water should not separate out. * Fork test: Dip the fork into jam or jelly.Jam of correct consistency forms a sheet between the needles of the fork.
Dip a cool metal spoon into the boiling jelly mixture. Raise the spoon out of the steam, about 12 inches above the pan. Turn the spoon so the liquid runs off the side. The jelly is done when the syrup forms two drops that flow together and form a sheet that hangs off the edge of the spoon as seen in the last drawing.
Lemons contain a very high amount of pectin, which naturally sets and thickens the marmalade. If your marmalade is too thick for your liking after it cools, then it's likely that too much water evaporated as it simmered, and you can just add a bit more water for a more spoonable consistency.
After about 5 mins the marmalade will start to rise up the pan (it may drop back and then rise again) and larger bubbles will cover the surface. After 8-10 mins boiling, test for setting point. Times will vary according to the size of the pan – in a large pan this takes 7-8 mins, in other pans it may take 12-15 mins.
The jam needs to settle and thicken slightly for 15min in the pan so the peel will be suspended throughout the marmalade. If you pot while it's hot, the peel will float to the top of the jars.
Now remove the pan from the heat and read the temperature. The temperatures required for setting point are: Jams and marmalades: between 104 degrees and 105.5 degrees. Jellies: between 104 degrees and 105 degrees.
A small portion of jam is taken out during boiling in a spoon or wooden laddle and cooled slightly. It is then allowed to drop. If the product falls off in the form of a sheet (or) flakes instead of flowing in a continuous stream (or) syrup, it means that the end point has been reached and the product is ready.
You can re-boil it. You will need to empty the marmalade into the pan and add the juice of a lemon. Slowly bring it back to the boil when the boil is really rapid I would give it 5 minutes. Then test it on a cold saucer.
Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set). If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
