Japonica Ornamental Quince and Coriander Jelly
A special recipe from Sara-Jane Brough from the Ludlow Jam Pan
Ingredients
1.5 kg of Japonica ornamental quince
2x sharp cooking or eating apples
1tbsp coriander seeds
granulated sugar
Method
Chop the Japonica and apples in to small even sized pieces and place in a large heavy bottomed saucepan.
Cover with cold water.
Lightly crush the coriander seeds with a pestle and mortar and add to the mixture.
Bring the mixture to the boil, turn down to a low heat, cover and cook gently for around 40 minutes until it is reduced to a pulp.
Mash the fruit pulp with a potato masher and leave the mixture to cool.
Scald your jelly bag and attach it to the stand. Ladle and pour the fruit pulp into the bag. Be careful to avoid splashes.
Do not be tempted to poke or prod the jelly bag. Let it drip slowly for at least four hours or better still, overnight.
Remove the jelly bag, measure out the liquid and add 450g of sugar to every pint of liquid.
Let the sugar melt gently over a low heat stirring all the time.
When all the sugar crystals have dissolved, turn up the heat to maximum. When it has come to a full rolling boil that won’t stir down, start to time five minutes.
Then check for a set; either use a jam/sugar thermometer or the saucer test.
Put a teaspoon of mixture on a saucer that has been kept in the fridge and leave to cool. If it wrinkles when it is pushed it means it has set.
If not, put the mixture back on the heat and check in five minutes.
Skim off any scum then put it into warm sterilised jars.
Strawberry Jam
This is a lovely jam, and the lemon takes away the extreme sweetness of the jam. Delicious with scones and cream or just a plain old bread and butter and jam delight!
Ingredients
450g (1lb) strawberries from the garden (increase the quantities according to your haul)
450g (1lb) granulated sugar
l lemon
A handful of flaked almonds
Some butter
Method
Place the sugar, strawberries and chopped up lemon in a bowl, and leave overnight to soak.
Pour into a preserving pan and place in the simmering oven to warm up, then dissolve the sugar completely on the simmering plate, move to the boiling plate and bring to a rolling boil, then test for a set after about quarter of an hour. Do the fridge test – put some jam on a saucer, place in the fridge for about 5 minutes, then drag your finger across the jam – if it forms a wrinkled skin, the jam is set.
Add the knob of butter to eliminate the scum and the flaked almonds just for a bit of a change!
Transfer the jam to sterilised Kilner jars – it won’t hang around for long!
Blackcurrant Jam on the AGA
If making jam fills you with fear then try this simple recipe of blackcurrant jam – Blackcurrants are a good fruit to work with because they nearly always set!
This recipe makes around 4.5kg (10lb) jam halve the quantities if it is too much for you.
Ingredients
1.8kg (4lb) blackcurrants
1.7 litres (3pt) water
1 lemon
2.7kg (6lb) granulated sugar
small knob butter
Method
Soak the blackcurrants in a sink of cold water. Remove the stalks and put them in a preserving pan with the water. Bring the blackcurrants and the juice from the lemon to the boil and simmer, uncovered for around three quarters of an hour, until the fruit is soft and water reduced.
Stir and add the sugar. Continue stirring until the sugar has dissolved bringing it to a gentle boil.
After it has boiled for around 10 minutes then do a set test. Put a small amount of jam on to a saucer and put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Turn the boiling jam right down low.
The set test should show a jam-like consistency when you move it with a spoon. If not return the pan to the heat, re-boil and test again.
Add a knob of butter and stir well. Cool the jam for 10 minutes and ladle into sterilised jars and let the jam cool before putting on the lids.