Christmas Jam Recipe - Food.com (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making jam? ›

Use fresh, dry, slightly under-ripe fruit. Strawberries and raspberries are best layered with the sugar and left for a couple of hours before cooking. Plums, currants, gooseberries, cherries etc need to be lightly poached before sugar is added. Pectin, naturally found in fruit is vital to make your jam set.

The best jams strike a balance among three ingredients: fruit, sugar and acid. Peak-season fruit is thickened with granulated sugar, which, along with an acid like lemon or lime juice, helps enhance its flavor.

Cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves come together to create a warm and cozy holiday flavour in this Spiced Christmas Jam recipe. Made with strawberries and cranberries, this jam is both sweet and tart with a warming and comforting hint of seasonal spice.

Coarse-grain white granulated sugar is best for jam-making as it ensures a good clear jam, but fine caster sugar can also be used. The coarse grains dissolve more slowly and evenly, giving a better result. Granulated sugar with added pectin is also available, but it shouldn't be necessary to use this.

Sodium benzoate is a preservative used in jams. Benzoic acid is absorbed into the cell that decreases the intracellular pH. Hence the anaerobic fermentation of glucose through phosphofructokinase decreases. This inhibits survival of microorganisms that cause food spoilage.

You don't have to, but proceed carefully. "If you are really anti-pectin, you can omit it, but you'll need to cook the jam longer. Doing so will remove most of the water content in order to get it to set up properly and in turn, will result in a smaller yield," adds Wynne.

If you really want to thicken it to a more spreadable consistency, the easiest way is to heat it up with some thickeners such as cornstarch. Arrowroot flour is more delicate and taste-neutral, but most cooks won't have it. Unflavored gelatin may also be used. Bring the syrupy “jam” to boil in a pot.

Pectin is crucial for achieving the desired consistency and texture in jams and jellies. Additionally, lemon juice adds acidity to the fruit mixture. The acid plays a vital role in preserving the color of the fruit by preventing browning and inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms.

What spices go well in jam? ›

Whole spices such as cardamom pods, allspice berries, black peppercorns, whole cloves, or cinnamon sticks can be infused in a sachet while the jam cooks, or small amounts of ground spices can be added directly in. Warm spices pair especially well with fruit, and a little goes a long way, so taste as you go!

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.

Are you sharing gifts of homemade preserves this year? For an extra festive (and useful!) touch, you might bundle jars of jam, jelly, and marmalade with a pretty dish towel, a spoon, or an edible accompaniment, like bread or cheese.

This unusual jelly gets it's beautiful amethyst color from an infusion of boiling water and wild violet flowers.

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 butter prevents the jam from foaming while you're cooking it - the foam is unattractive and spoils the appearance of the jam. Adding a little butter eliminates this problem."

Flavor: The flavor should be well-balanced and not too sweet or too tart. The fruit flavor should be the dominant taste, with just enough sugar and pectin to create the right consistency and preserve the fruit. Color: The color should be bright and vibrant, reflecting the natural color of the fruit.