Organized chaos or making jam using pectin...
I looove peaches so I asked Mom to help me make jam this time using white peaches, peaches do not have as much pectin in them as the Satsuma plums on Mom's tree. So because of that you need to add pectin to your jam mixture.
I used the recipe in the Sure Jell Pectin box, Mom said their instructions have been around for decades and their methods are excellent for beginners.
But when you use pectin you must have everything set and ready to go because once things start happening you cannot stop, or BAM you have ruined it.
A kind of organized chaos if you will. Especially in the last minutes of cooking the jam; everything went fine but it was funny when the jam started foaming like crazy, which it does using added pectin even more than ones not needing added pectin. Fortunately the Sure Jell instructions also cover this by suggesting a teaspoon of butter or margarine and it works!
I chose white peaches because they are a touch more delicate in flavor and I have always had a fondness for them. However we also put one yellow peach in the mix just in case the flavor was too mild. We also used a food processor to chop the peaches into very small pieces because Mom was concerned that the white peaches being firmer than yellow might not dissolve as well and be too chunky. In the end the white dissolved very well and we realized we do not have to use the food processor as much maybe not at all depending on what you like as far a piece size in your jam.
A friend made peach jam last year that she added cinnamon too that was very tasty but I did not add any just peaches, sugar and lemon juice according to the recipe.
At this point I have six jars on the counter that sealed perfectly and can be used starting tomorrow. I cannot wait to see how they taste.
I really think I want to play around with more jams, this is a lot of fun! If you want to see the plum and jam recipe it was posted here: http://bellescookinghaven.blogspot.com/2012/08/plum-jam-2012.html
Remember if you want to use fruits like peaches or berries though you will need pectin and those recipes are included with the pectin. But mom's recipe also has all the important setup and items you will want/need to get everything organized with excellent recomendations for the best supplies to use.
I used the recipe in the Sure Jell Pectin box, Mom said their instructions have been around for decades and their methods are excellent for beginners.
But when you use pectin you must have everything set and ready to go because once things start happening you cannot stop, or BAM you have ruined it.
A kind of organized chaos if you will. Especially in the last minutes of cooking the jam; everything went fine but it was funny when the jam started foaming like crazy, which it does using added pectin even more than ones not needing added pectin. Fortunately the Sure Jell instructions also cover this by suggesting a teaspoon of butter or margarine and it works!
I chose white peaches because they are a touch more delicate in flavor and I have always had a fondness for them. However we also put one yellow peach in the mix just in case the flavor was too mild. We also used a food processor to chop the peaches into very small pieces because Mom was concerned that the white peaches being firmer than yellow might not dissolve as well and be too chunky. In the end the white dissolved very well and we realized we do not have to use the food processor as much maybe not at all depending on what you like as far a piece size in your jam.
A friend made peach jam last year that she added cinnamon too that was very tasty but I did not add any just peaches, sugar and lemon juice according to the recipe.
At this point I have six jars on the counter that sealed perfectly and can be used starting tomorrow. I cannot wait to see how they taste.
I really think I want to play around with more jams, this is a lot of fun! If you want to see the plum and jam recipe it was posted here: http://bellescookinghaven.blogspot.com/2012/08/plum-jam-2012.html
Remember if you want to use fruits like peaches or berries though you will need pectin and those recipes are included with the pectin. But mom's recipe also has all the important setup and items you will want/need to get everything organized with excellent recomendations for the best supplies to use.
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