Christmas Jam Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making jam? ›

The Magic of Macerating

One of my favorite tricks for jam-making is macerating the fruit first. Macerating is the process of coating the fruit in sugar and letting it rest for a few hours or overnight, which pulls some of the juice out of the fruit and creates a syrup with the sugar.

Jam recipes mostly comprise equal weights of fruit and sugar. You can play with this 1:1 ratio as much as you want, but too much fruit and you may lose the preserving effects of the sugar; too much sugar and it may crystallise during storage.

Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set. With low-pectin fruits like strawberries, help them along by either mixing with pectin-rich fruit like gooseberries or by using jam sugar (with added pectin and citric acid). Setting point is 104.5°C.

(2)Most jam recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar. I usually use a 75 % ratio, or 1 ½ pounds of sugar to every 2 pounds of fruit, unless the fruit is not very sweet, in which case, I adjust accordingly.

Adding acid in the form of fresh lemon or lime juice is important for two reasons: First, it makes for a more well-balanced jam, returning some of the acidity lost with the addition of sugar. Second, pectin needs acid to properly activate, or firm up.

You will need approximately half the amount of pectin that is indicated by your recipe. Please be careful when adding pectin as too much will leave you with a set that is too solid and it is not possible to rectify this so always add less than you think is necessary and test the set and then add more if required.

5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.

It's important to add the jam sugar at the right time. If you add it in too early, the sugar can cause the fruit to break down and become mushy. If added too late, the jam may not set properly.

Lemon juice contains natural pectin, a substance found in the cell walls of fruits that helps to thicken and set the jam or jelly. Pectin is crucial for achieving the desired consistency and texture in jams and jellies.

How long should you boil jam for? ›

The fruit and sugar need plenty of time to cook and thicken. Jam starts to get thick after 20 minutes of a steady boil. A jam is done if it makes a clear path in a frozen spoon when you run your finger through it.

Generally, it's advised to add one tablespoon of lemon juice per pound of fruit. However, if you follow the jam recipe closely, you may wish to use bottled lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice has a standardized level of acidity, so there'll be no question whether you've added enough.

Tips for the best homemade jam:

Jam makers suggest no more than 1 cup of sugar for each cup of fruit, or you won't be able to taste the fruit. Marisa McClellan's (from Food in Jars) favorite ratio is two parts fruit to one-part sugar.

Both types contain fruit, fruit pulp or canned fruit and are boiled with water and a sweetening ingredient. Both must have 66% water-soluble solids. Fruit jam and fruit jam with pectin may contain a class II preservative, a pH adjusting agent or an antifoaming agent. Both types cannot contain apple or rhubarb fruit.

Lemon Juice and Fruit Jams: A Perfect Pairing

I generally add one ounce of lemon juice for every two pounds of fruit when jamming higher-acid fruit (like tart plums, cherries, or raspberries), and about two ounces for lower-acid fruit (like sweet strawberries).

5. Do Not Stir Once Mixture Is Boiling. Once your jam/marmalade it has reached a rapid rolling boil do not stir it. Stirring it will alter the temperature of the jam/marmalade meaning it will take longer to reach the setting point.

Commercial pectin helps thicken jam made with low-pectin fruits, like blackberry jam, or vegetable jelly recipes, like pepper jelly. It comes in powder or liquid form, but the former is the most common. Add powdered pectin to the fruit juice, chopped fruit, or strained purée before heating the jam mixture.

The addition of ¼ teaspoon butter or margarine during cooking helps cut down on the foam formed. To fill the jars, pour hot fruit mixture into hot sterilized jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Process jams, preserves and conserves in a boiling water bath for the length of time specified in the recipe.

While you can simply reduce the jam to your liking, you can also add commercial pectin or chia seeds to the reducing jam to guarantee thickening.