jam making

[dragonrouge]

I have just and for the first time used Beghin Say Gelsuc sugar. The setting point was reached within minutes and this must obviously be as a result of what has been added to the sugar. It was a batch of apricots and I am truly amazed. Has anyone used this product please and the results where? for obviously the proof is in the eating.

rdgs

[chocccie]

it is sugar with added pectin.  For use with fruits that have a low pectin content (like strawberries).

If you use it with fruits that don't have a low pectin content, you might find that you have a slice of jam, rather than a spoon full.

[Judith]

I used it to make plum jam, very successfully.  If you follow the amounts on the packet (bearing in mind it depends on whether the fruit already has some pectin in it, such as in apples, which are often added for precisely that reason), it should be OK.

An I am no jam maker - I used a microwave also, which makes the testing of the setting point less easy, but it was fine, and all who tasted said, wow, never had such nice plum jam before.

Mind you - they were AGEN plums.

(And sadly, in the last storms, the branch with all the plums on it this year was damaged, so no plum jam this year, or next, possibly!).

[odile]

the first and only time I made jam, I was so shocked about the amount of sugar- it put me off forever!

[dragonrouge]

thanks to everyone for their so helpful replies. I think I will revert to normal sugar although on this occasion I followed the amounts to be found on the back of the packet.

I truly prefer damson or blackcurrant jam but use apricot as a glaze for pork chops or gammon or ribs or indeed some lamb.

[Scooby]

I buy the sugar with pectin - not necessarily for jam making, but because it has lovely large crystals that look great as a decorative topping for eccles cakes, pastries etc.

[5-element]

[quote user="odile"]the first and only time I made jam, I was so shocked about the amount of sugar- it put me off forever!

[/quote]

Likewise, Odile. However, you CAN cut down on the amount of sugar, usually by one-third. I have tried to cut it down by one half, but that's not quite right, it doesn't set properly. It pays to experiment, though. I use quite a bit of lemon juice with fig jam particularly, and some with cherry jam or apricot jam, it seems to help it set better so that you can cut down on the sugar.

I am no experienced jam-maker, but sometimes creative jam-making turns out very well. Sometimes.[:)]

Some people claim they can tell when there is pectin in jam as it gives it a funny taste.

I have found with Confisuc that in fact, it sets much too quickly - which means that the apricots were not cooked enough and the jam was already setting! I no longer use it. In any case, many runny jams do set after a couple of months.

[wallifer]

I use the confiture sugar but always forget the lemon juice. I made a lovely jam from the cherry plum I have in garden

[JeanS]

Just spend the morning making plum, greengage & blackberry jam ( separate not all together) I've used Saint Louis confiscue - as above the setting point is reached very quickly so I hope it vwill be OK. I made blackberry jam last week using the same branc but for gellee - didn't realise until I was throwing the packet in the bin. However the jam is OK, nice consistancy but a bit sweet. Now we've got loads of jam - still if we get short of money we can always live on bread and jam. We've got a glut of nectarines - anyone have ideas on how to preserve them other than jam.

[Polly]

We use most of our jam as the 'flavourer' in natural yougurts, yum!, for family puds & at brekky. Hard set jam isn't good for this, so I use 'normal' the cheapest sugar and cut down on what's in the recipe a bit. The jam also spreads beautifully on scones.

[osie]

This year we made about 40litres of mulberry gellee jam... not out of choice but it was that or having bucket loads of rotting berries.

The advantage being that it save lots of money on buying the stuff and we sell it too..

For this I used the gellee sugar (confiture sugar but for gelles) as it takes 5 mins rather than 25 mins... and with those quantites that is a lot of time saving...

however I think just sugar is better with maybe some apple juice and a fair bit of time on your hands... and a big sauce pan.  Did strawberry jam in season before realising the future raining of mulberry berries, and this was really great. 

btw: make it for free at the moment with all those lovely elderberries.

[Hoddy]

Has anyone tried pear jam ? We have a surfeit of pears at the moment.

Hoddy 

[wallifer]

I made some elderberry jam and thought it was terrible [+o(]

[Scooby]

[quote user="JeanS"] We've got a glut of nectarines - anyone have ideas on how to preserve them other than jam.[/quote]

You could bottle them (works well with plums and clementines (though peel the later first!)):

In saucepan add 1 and 1/4 pints of water to 9oz caster sugar, 6 star anise, 8 cloves and 2 cinnamon sticks (broken into 2" lengths).  Cover and bring to the boil.  Stir to ensure sugar is dissolved then stir in 6 tablespoons of gin and set aside to cool.  Pack the fruit into large kilner jars (this recipe will do ~4lb of fruit).  Add the cooled syrup to the jars, distributing the spices evenly leaving about 1cm space at the top of each jar and seal.

Place the sealed jars in a large saucepan and fill the pan with cold water to come to almost but not quite the full height of the jars.  Cover the saucepan and slowly bring to the boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25mins.  Remove the jars from pan and allow to cool. 

Recipe says jars can be stored for five months but we have kept them for over a  year without any problems.  Serve with a good vanilla ice cream. They taste wonderful (Also make a lovely Christmas present.)

[gregory]

Does any of the above relate also to making chutney?? My Apricot chutney never sets and I am in the process of starting on another batch of tomato. Is sucre confiture the thing to use even with "les tomates"???

Please help and thanks in advance

GregoryW