You simply can't beat homemade jam. My Nan has always made her own jam, ever since I can remember, and the store bought stuff is just not the same! Just thinking about a slice of toast with a huge lather of homemade jam that's packed with fruit is making my mouth water. Or, pairing it up with scones and clotted cream. Or, even as a filling for a Victoria Sponge. I could go on but, what I'm trying to say is, once you've made your own jam you'll never want to go back to buying that rubbish they stock on the shelves in your local supermarket.
If you didn't know, our
Hexagonal Jars are on offer until the 1st of November, and they are absolutely ideal for storing your homemade jam. Our jars come with a gold lid that has a rubber seal on the inside to ensure your jam has an air tight seal once the lid is fastened. Keeping it fresher, for longer. Of course, you don't have to stick with the gold lid - the latest craze is floral doilies, and the provide a much more traditional look. In honour of our discounted jars, I thought it would be a great idea to list some of my favourite homemade jam recipes!
Jamie Oliver's Incredible Strawberry Jam
Strawberry flavoured jam is definitely a classic. It's the one you'd never get tired of spreading on your toast every morning. There is a whole array of exotic jam flavours out there but you can guarantee, strawberry is the flavour you'd never get tired of.
Ingredients
- 500g High Pectin Sugar
- 1 Vanilla Pod
- 1kg Ripe Strawberries (washed and leafy tops removed.)
Method
- It's definitely always best to sterilize your jars before you start! Once they're bacteria free, you can begin.
- Firstly, halve your vanilla pod length ways and scrape out the seeds.
- Pop the vanilla seeds into a saucepan with the strawberries and sugar.
- Mush your ingredients up using a potato masher, but make sure you leave a few chunky strawberry bits for some texture.
- Place your pan on a medium heat, bring it to the boil and then leave it to simmer for around 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, gently skim any foam off the top of the jam and leave it to cool for around 15 minutes.
- Divide your jam into the hexagonal jars and place them in the fridge. Once they're sealed, this jam should keep for around a week.
For more delicious Jamie Oliver recipes, head over to his
website.
Strawberry and Rhubarb Jam
With this recipe,
Self Proclaimed Foodie uses double the amount of rhubarb compared to strawberries. This is because, homemade jam requires a whole lot of sugar, and with the addition of strawberries your jam is going to be
hella sweet. With the extra rhubarb, comes extra tart flavours - which counteracts the super sweetness. Making a deliciously moreish jam!
Ingredients
- 3 large stalks of rhubarb - cut them into 1/2" cubes
- 1 pint of hulled and halved strawberries
- 2 1/4 cups of sugar
- 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Method
- Combine all of the ingredients into a large saucepan over a medium heat.
- Once the mixture starts to bubble, reduce the heat and continue to cook until the jam has thickened. Do this for around 1 hour.
- Have a very large covered pot of boiling water ready. There needs to be enough water in the pot so that the filled jars can be submerged and covered by at least 1" of water.
- Fill your hexagonal jars with your jam and seal them.
- Transfer your filled jars to your boiling water and let them boil for 10 minutes
- Move your jars to a tea towel and let them cool for 24 hours.
- If your jars aren't sealed, jam should be popped in the fridge and consumed within 2 weeks. Sealed jars will keep in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Easy Peach Vanilla Jam
For those of you who have never tried your hand at making homemade jam before, this recipe might be the one for you. If you don't have the time to faff about boiling your jars and using ingredients like 'pectin,' keep readin'! You could even whip out this jam at a family gathering when you present the cheeseboard.
Ingredients
- 9 chopped and peeled medium sized peaches
- 300g granulated sugar
- 1 vanilla bean split length wise
- Juice of a small lemon
Method
- Pop all of your ingredients into a large saucepan and stir them whilst bringing to the boil.
- Continue to boil and frequently stir, skimming off any foam that may gather on the surface.
- Your jam should boil for at least 10 minutes. If your jam is really runny, leave it to cook a little bit longer until it has the desired consistency.
- When you have achieved your desired consistency, remove from the heat and allow your jam to slightly cool.
- Transfer your jam into hexagonal jars and store them in the fridge for a couple of weeks.
For more peach inspired recipes, visit the
Celebrating Sweets website.
Plum and Amaretto Jam
A plum and almond combination is always going to be delicious, so when I found
this recipe to make it in jam form, I instantly popped it on this blog post so that you could enjoy it too. You'll be living off toast and jam for the next two weeks - it's that good! Plus, plums are naturally high in pectin so you don't need to add any more; which is definitely a bonus!
Ingredients
- 1kg plums
- 250ml water
- 1kg granulated sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 45ml amaretto
Method
- Wash, stone and quarter the plums and place them in a deep reactive saucepan
- Bring them to the boil and simmer for about 15 minutes until the plums are soft
- Sterilize your jars
- Add the lemon juice and sugar to the plums and heat them gently whilst stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
- Bring your jam up to a fast boil for ten minutes and then remove from the heat.
- Check that your jam is set by popping a small blob of jam onto a frozen plate. Leave it in the fridge for a minute or so and then prod the jam with your finger - if it wrinkles, it's ready!
- Let the jam cool for around 10 minutes and then stir in your amaretto.
- Pour your jam into your jars and screw on the lids.
Our
hexagonal jars are absolutely ideal for making homemade jam, they're just the right size! And, even better, they're on offer until the 1st November. All you need to do is use the code
JARLOVE at the check out to activate your 10% discount.
GBP
