I’ve recently started to give jam making a try. I’ve always thought that it is quite complex, and that having specific equipment is a must. This is the second jam I tried making and I’ve already learned that it isn’t that hard… You just need to understand fruit a bit, and if you don’t – then you need to research it and you will be fine. Also, a good, trusted recipe helps too!

The recipe I used is from Waitrose magazine, from while back, and the cooking times didn’t quite work for me, as my jam needed a bit longer. I picked up a few tricks from reading about jam making and I’ve also added them to the recipe below to aid you into jam making. I think this is a really good recipe to make if you’ve never made jam before and it really doesn’t take that long in the kitchen! Plus, you’ll feel like a superstar when you eat/serve/gift your own homemade jam.

Apple and Plum Jam

Makes 4 x 450g jars | Prep 30 minutes | Cook 30-50 minutes
Easy | Gluten-free | Vegan

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You’ll need:

  • 450g Bramley cooking apples, peeled and cored
  • 900g Victoria plums, halved and stoned, then quartered
  • 1.1kg Granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 150˚C/130˚C fan/gas 2. Cut the apples into chunks and place them, along with the plums and 150ml water, in a wide, stainless-steel pan. Cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the plums are soft and the apples are cooked to a pulp.

Meanwhile, heat the sugar in an ovenproof dish in the oven for 5–10 minutes and sterilise the jam jars and lids (see tip below). When the fruit is cooked, add the warm sugar, stirring until dissolved. Boil uncovered until set (see tip below), about 10–15 minutes. Pour immediately into warm jars and seal while hot.

Original recipe from myWaitrose magazine, available online here.

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TIPS:

Tip 1: To sterilise the jam jars and lids, wash them in warm soapy water and rinse well. Put them in a preheated oven to 150˚C/130˚C fan/gas 2 for about 10 minutes or until completely dry.

Tip 2: To check that your jam has set, put a small plate in your freezer when you start cooking. When the cooking time has finished, take out the plate and put a spoonful of the jam on the plate and put it back in the freezer for 2-3 minutes. Take the ham off the heat while you are testing it! If the jam looks set when you take it out of the freezer, then it’s ready. Just squeeze it with your fingers to check if it has the desired jam consistency. If it is still a bit runny, cook the jam for a further 5 minutes. Check every 5 minutes or so until set. Mine took about 30 minutes to cook, but this can vary…

~Em