Please join with me in my excitement of jam'n....
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So back to the house that hasn't sold with my load of yellow plums, few figs and some apples. I wondered what type of apples they were? There are so many different types. As I stated before, my apples are actually more like ping pong balls. But some taste great and some a little tart. I rationed out the figs and they lasted a few days.
Time to start jam'n with the plums....
A peek in the back of the cupboard and I found a box of jars from the last - and first time that I made jam. It was strawberry jam and it was 1999. I read it on one of the labels still on the empty jar.
The neighbour was set to lend me her 'jam'n kit' but she also pointed out that this week's Canadian Tire flyer showed canning kits on sale. Now I know the plan is to down size and buy less, but I decided I needed my own jam'n kit with all my fruit trees. I proceeded to buy the biggest pot I have ever owned!
I had a vague memory of my first attempt at jam'n, and I remember A LOT of sugar was involved. And I had A LOT of plums, so I bought more jars, more lids and more sugar.
I remember reading about people who have given up sugar altogether. It's like a drug, an adiction that many have come to generally accept, or at least to ignore their dependence upon. I had decided to give up large quantities of refined sugar as well. I had even given away sugar in my house to friends that actually bake as opposed to me who just thinks about it. But come on, who was I kidding .. I was never going to give up sugar, or chocolate. There is no chocolate involved here, I just felt the need to express my love of chocolate.
Okay.. Jam.. Plum jam.... Time to start jam'n.....
My jam kit- canning kit came with a DVD showing me how to make jam. I watched it so I could not go wrong. There was even a booklet with recipes for all kinds of different fruits- not for plums though. ... Off to the Internet and I found a recipe with no sugar added!
- So batch number one was with a recipe that is just plums and honey and a bit of lemon juice and orange juice. It did not really thicken as I had hoped and only made three jars.
- Then I made a batch with pre measured pectin and sugar in a litre carton. It turned out well and made five jars.
- I tried another honey batch, it made only two jars this time!
Somewhere in here I returned the neighbour's jam kit and offered to switch pots. I was one person and they were a family... surely they would need a HUGE pot more than I? I was reminded I will make lots of jam, I will be the queen of jam making... Or something like that. I kept my pot.
My jam factory took a little break as I cut up some plums for the freezer.. For smoothies and stuff. Two bags full.
- For the next batch I went back to the Internet and found the Benardin recipe for plum jam. Oh my god 8 cups of sugar is a lot of sugar!! Have you seen how much 8 cups really is? But the recipe did made 10 jars... I sneaked some extra spice in to make the jam my secret recipe. And you what, that big pot was great for all the jars at once.
Then I found the recipe for plum jam with port... Now someone was thinking!
I had to acquire a few more ingredients before this one could be attempted. Smaller jars, something called Chinese 5 spice and low sugar pectin - now see, this batch was even going to be good for me! I think it turned out well.
Labels on everything and a few jars to friends, some even in the mail for Mom, and I still have some in my 'cold room'. I will admit I have been eating lots of toast and jam this last week, trying the honey batch and the secret recipe. They taste just like homemade jam should taste. Yea!
- One last batch of honey jam... actually 1/2 a batch. I was too lazy to get the huge pot out again to boil up the jars.. so both jars hit the fridge.
There are no more plums. It was a frenzy of jam'n for a week and a bit, I kinda miss it.
Now, what to do with the apples.... I wonder how you make apple butter, or that sauce that tastes like apple pie...
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