Jam, Preserve, Jelly & Curd - How Do You Make These Preserves?

There are many ways of preserving fruit to maintain over the winter. Each 1 have its ain style and its ain manner of making it, which takes to a different merchandise and appearance. The chief types are detailed below:

Jams are whole fruit preserved in refined sugar and boiled until they attain the 'setting point' that point at which the jam will put of its ain agreement at room temperature. The teguments and often the seeds of the fruit are incorporated in a jam.

A preserve is similar to a jam, except that it's cooked for less clip so that the fruit stays more than solid and makes not interrupt down. Preserves typically incorporate less refined sugar than jams and will not last as long.

Jellies are prepared like jams, except that the fruit are boiled in H2O or acidulated H2O (water with lemon juice added) until the fruit are soft and pulpy. The fruit mush is then strained over nighttime to bring forth a clear fruit liquid. Sugar is then added to the clear liquid and it's boiled again until the scene point is produced. This bring forths a clear fruit-flavoured 'jelly'. Often they have got apples as a alkali and to supply the pectin needed for the jelly to set. As well as fruit jellies can also be made from a premix of fruit, herbaceous plants and wines. They are often used as the footing for sauces in cookery.

Curds are fruit-flavoured liquids that are thickened by the improver of eggs. The eggs give the mixture a creamy spreading consistency.

Below are formulas for a jam, a jelly and a curd so that you can compare the production techniques.

Blackcurrant Jam

Ingredients:

2.7kg sugar

1.8kg blackcurrants

1.8l water

Method:

Wash the blackcurrants, removing and chaffs and leaves. Topographic Point the fruit in a heavy-bottomed saucepan along with the water. Bring to a boil, cut down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, mashing the fruit against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon until the fruit is tender.

Add the refined sugar to the saucepan, heat energy through, stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a furuncle and cook rapidly for about 15 minutes. Diagnostic Test for setting by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a small of the jam onto the plate, let to cook then travel it with your fingernail. If a crinkled tegument word forms then the jam is ready. If not go on boiling for 5 proceedings more and diagnostic test again.

Skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have got been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for 5 minutes. Let 1cm of caput space then procure the lid, let to chill and store.

Redcurrant Jelly

Ingredients:

1.8kg redcurrants

600ml water

75g refined sugar per 100ml liquid

Method:

Wash and pare the reddish currants then put in a heavy-bottomed saucepan along with the water. Bring to a boil, cut down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, mashing the fruit against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Pour into a jelly bag or a screen lined with respective layers of muslin and let to run out into a bowl (do not be tempted to squash the bag as this volition only do the jelly cloudy.

The followers morning time fling the fruit (I be given to freeze them to do pies later) then measurement the volume of the liquid and add 75g refined refined refined sugar per 100ml of fluid.

Place the juice and the sugar in a saucepan, heat energy through then add the sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Bring to a furuncle and cook rapidly for about 15 minutes. Diagnostic Test for setting by placing a plate in the fridge. Spoon a small of the jelly onto the plate, let to cook then travel it with your fingernail. If a crinkled tegument word forms then the jelly is ready. If not go on boiling for 5 proceedings more and diagnostic test again.

Skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have got been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for minutes. Let 1cm of caput space then procure the lid, let to chill and store.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

450g caster sugar

freshly-grated skin of 4 medium lemons

juice of 4 medium lemons

225g butter

5 eggs, lightly beaten

Method:

Juice and finely grate the skins of the lemons. Prepare a bain marie (double boiler) and transportation the lemon juice and gusto to this. Add the refined refined sugar and butter and cook over low heat energy energy until all the sugar have got dissolved.

Remove from the heat and blend with the eggs, which have been lightly beaten. Mix to compound thoroughly then go dorsum to the heat energy and go on cookery slowly in the dual steam boiler until the curd mixture will just coat the back of a spoon.

Skim the surface then ladle into sterilized jars that have got been warmed in an oven set to 100°C for 5 minutes. Let 1cm of caput space then procure the lid, let to chill and store. This volition maintain for at least 4 hebdomads in the fridge.

If your involvement is piqued by these formulas then I urge on you to happen out more than about jam and continue making.