I hope you like jammin' too

Ok so yesterday was picking fruit, next step is making jam. I made three recipes on Sunday – Raspberry Jam, Cashmere Pickle and Nectarine Jam. I am now officially out of jars, well almost.

Raspberry jam – Naturally my raspberries managed to leak through the suitcase on transit and through my clothes. Aside from that jam making went smoothly apart from the fact that I am badly in need of a jam funnel or at least a ladle with a lip for pouring. Suffice to say some of the jam gets in the jar but a lot gets on the bench, the tea towel, the hob, my clothes and in one rather unpleasant incident, my foot.

Cashmere Pickle used up some of my excess gooseberries – lord knows I have enough of them now! Gooseberries, dates, raisins, vinegar, brown sugar etc. I was quite excited about trying it until I read the bottom of the recipe and found out that I have to leave it for a year. A YEAR! Good things take time perhaps?



Nectarine Jam – it was nectarine or peach and nectarines were $3.45 a kilo so we got nectarines. Now I’ve never heard of anyone making nectarine jam before, I was hoping there was not a very good reason for this. I cooked them up to a surprisingly pink paste, added my sugar and two packets of setting agent – I’m not taking any chances! I had bought about 6 ½ lb of nectarines which filled more jars than I had sterilised. Oooops. Never one to chuck anything out I just poured it into a mug and put it in the fridge. It’s a very pretty peachy colour and only just set – lucky huh!

I’ve already done the pre-preparation for my Rhubarb and fig jam. I’m not sure how much of a good idea this jam sounds but I have absolutely no choice in this so why query it! So the Rhubarb is all cut up and covered with sugar and ready to go, now all I have to do is cook it up! Best cut out the canasta and get on to it eh!