The thing I love about jam making is how easy it is. Even without a garden, I’ve realised that it’s a wonderful opportunity to buy fruits and vegetables that are fully in season and cheap, to make wonderful tasting jams and preserves for later in the year. I’ve been practicing with an assortment of different produce including carrots and onions, but right now it’s time to save some of our summer fruits, to bring some much needed sunshine to those cold winter months.

Check the fruit to ensure it’s fully vegan! Another of the joys of organic farming ….. let’s talk about our organic pesticides!

Process.

Chop the peaches, core and chop apples, squeeze the lemons and measure out your sugar. Add everything to your cooking pan and mash with a potato masher. Then cook, stirring regularly to prevent burning until you’ve reached your required setting point. Taste to decide on sugar content.

Prepare your jars in boiling water and decant the jam into the jars. As ever I place a vine leaf on top to prevent mould. Remember, if using screw jars, to release the lid by a quarter to help access once you want to open.

Figure 3 The result of 3 kilos of peaches. Perhaps we need to plant a few more peach trees.

Additional Notes.

Recipes frequently ask you to put a couple of plates in the freezer to test the setting point. Tbh I never do this but rather test from the pan. Let me know what you think.

There’s a lot of adaptations you can make to this and other fruit jam recipes. I like to sneak a cheeky chilli in to give a little buzz amongst all that sweetiness, but a coriander stick or bay leaf also adds a distinct flavour that will be noted by others …. Should you choose to share over breakfast!

If you make lots of this jam, why not freeze it until you really want it. It should be able to be stored for 6 – 12 months and possibly 6 weeks once opened, though why you’d leave it unfinished for that long, I don’t know!