10 Tips for making Jam
- Sterilise your jars. To do this, wash them in very hot, soapy water. Rinse well and place on a baking tray in the oven to dry completely.
- Choose ripe but not soft fruit. Use fruit when it is at the height of its season. It will be at its best as well as its cheapest.
- Cook the fruit until its soft before adding the sugar.
- Ensure you use the right sugar; jam/preserving/granulated sugar.
- Using a temperature probe may provide a more accurate reading than a sugar thermometer.
- Have four or five saucers in the freezer or fridge, ready to perform multiple saucer tests at regular intervals when you think your jam is nearly ready.
- Saucer test for a good set: When the jam is boiling rapidly and you think it is ready to pot, take a saucer out of the freezer and drop a small spoonful onto it. Allow to cool for a minute then push your finger through the jam - if it wrinkles it's ready; if not boil for a few more minutes. Continue testing until a set is reached.
- When recycling jam jars, it is possible to re-use a lid as long as it fits well and does not have the remnants or taint of its previous contents.
- Don’t put the labels on until the jam is cold – the heat will prevent them from sticking properly.
- If things go wrong: if the jam hasn’t set after cooling and potting, tip it all back into the pan and boil again, adding the juice of a small lemon or a sachet of pectin.