To Make Jam
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the fruit and place it in a clean, dry saucepan over medium heat.
Stir with a wooden spoon until the juice begins to flow.
Remove from heat and add the sugar; stir until dissolved.
Boil for about 30 minutes, stirring often, and remove any scum that rises.
To test if done, place a small amount on a cold plate; if it sets, it's ready.
Finish as you would for marmalade.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Fruit
- Provides the pectin, acid and flavour that give jam its body and taste.
- Loaf sugar
- Sweetens the jam and helps it set and keep by binding water.
The step that matters
Testing for set. Jam thickens as water evaporates and pectin and sugar gel on cooling. Boiling too briefly leaves it runny, while boiling too long can make it stiff and dull. A cold plate test shows whether it will set before you stop cooking.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
More jam recipes
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.