I used to make large batches of jam, and give it away. Chili jam, alcoholic kiwifruit jam, strawberry jam, apple jam..whatever was on sale at the markets. These days I just don't want jam that much, although I am having fun making up a small jar here and there, mainly to use up what is in the garden. Small batch is so much easier, because it is only a jar or so in the fridge you don't have to worry too much about technical stuff like baking your jars to ensure they are clean, measuring ingredients precisely, or a strict regime of stirring and timed bubbling. It's also fun to experiment with unlikely combinations. Dude, you will have eaten it in less than a week!
We pulled out most of the tomato plants over Easter, they where just dead looking sticks covered in green tomatoes that went rotten before they ripened. I blame the rain. I threw them in a saucepan with some chilies from the neighbours (they gave me a lot a few weeks ago, I just keep them in the freezer until needed). It made about a cups worth of jam that is lovely with some ham or chicken, or maybe on a veggie patty..Before that, I bought a small tray of mixed stone fruit from the green grocers, and jammed it up with some more neighborly chili. That was delicious, and lasted about 2 days.
My recipe is always the same.
- 1 cup of fruit/chilies/tomatoes/ whatever you want to turn into jam.
- about half a cup of sugar - I like to use organic raw sugar, but it's up to you.
- a splash of water to loosen everything up.
- 1 sachet of Jam Setta - my secret weapon! A whole sachet is probably too much for 1 cup of fruit, but I like a firm jam.
- Sometimes a cinnamon stick or a vanilla pod, depending on what you are making.
Simmer everything together until it is soft and syrupy looking, then pour it into a clean jar, put the lid on, label it and put it in the fridge.
Let me know of your adventures in small batch jam, I'd love to hear them!
xx