Jam
Homemade jam is a simple way to turn a couple of cups of ripe fruit into a jar that keeps. This version works with almost any soft fruit, from strawberries and plums to blackberries and peaches. A little lemon juice sharpens the flavor, and a small knob of butter is there to keep the foam down while it boils. Sour fruits take extra sugar, and the cold plate test tells you when it has set.
Instructions
Wash the fruit and remove any stones, leaves or other inedible parts. Cut anything larger than a small berry into small pieces.
Crush the fruit, then sprinkle it with the lemon juice and butter and stir well. Tip the mixture into a large cooking pot. A copper pot is the traditional choice, but any pot will work.
Bring the mixture slowly to a full rolling boil, stirring regularly. Add the sugar, and add pectin as well if the fruit needs it.
Keep boiling until the jam thickens, which can take about an hour depending on the fruit. To test it, drop a little jam onto a cold plate. It is ready when it turns sticky and does not run.
Sterilize glass jars by boiling them in water, or wash the jars and the insides of the lids with boiling water. Pour the jam quickly into the still-hot jars and seal them with the lids.
Turn the sealed jars upside down for a moment so the trapped air bubble passes through the hot jam and is disinfected. Alternatively, skip the lid, pour a layer of molten paraffin over the jam, and cover the jar with paper held by a rubber band.
Serve the jam with bread, toast, English muffins or pancakes.
Make it personal.
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