Money For Jam!

One of the things I like to do to make a dollar stretch is make my own jam.


In Australia, summer has come to an end, and so has the "stone fruit" season.  Which means, we can pick up this end of season fruit really cheap!  Especially if you buy from a local market.


So I decided to make some strawberry and plumb jam.


Making jam is a very easy process.  Although it is readily available from the supermarket, home made jam tastes better, and you control how much sugar or additives go into it!


The recipe is as follows.




1 kilo of fruit...eg strawberries, plumbs, figs, peach, etc
1 kilo sugar (or less, around 800g)
Pectin (bought in supermarkets, and only if needed)


* I don't usually use pectin, but you can add if you like *


Method


Cut fruit up into small pieces.  Add to a deep/heavy based saucepan.
Add 1 kg sugar, and put over low heat till sugar dissolves.


Then raise temperature slightly until you get a rolling boil "continuously bubbly" but not boiling over.


Stir every couple of minutes, and cook this way for around 40 minutes.  The jam is ready when you put a blob of it on a plate and within 20 seconds, it feels thick to touch.


Make sure you store in jars (steralised, by boiling in water for 5 minutes).


When you fill the jars, place the lids on them tightly and put all the jars upside down.  If you do this, the lids will pop back down again, forming a seal, and will be airtight, as if they were on the supermarket shelves!


Then you have jam all year round.


Now sugar for a kilo is around $2.  And fruit is around $2 a kilo on sale.


Buy up and make jam when this happens, as you can fill around 4 large jars and it will cost you around $1 a jar, plus it tastes so much better!


I save my jars from pasta sauces, condiments etc.  Wash them out, take off the labels, and the "pop" lids will seal again and again.


Happy Jam Making :)


PS....not all jam making sessions have been perfect, coming back from holiday, I decided to make jam and forgot it was on the stove, and had a stella moment.  Burnt the jam and had to throw the jam and the Pot into the bin!
My advice, do one thing at a time, don't multi task on this one!!!


STELLAAAA!