Jams and Jellies [antikvár]

2 let's jam! By following these tried-and-tested procedures, your jams and jellies will be a guaranteed triumph - sweet, delicious and simple. First things first Jam is based on one or more types of fruit. The fruit is cooked until tender, sugar is added, then the mixture is cooked until it will jell, or become thick enough to spread when it is served at room temperature. A conserve is a preserve made from whole or large pieces of fruit, made in the same way as jam. A jelly differs from jam in that it is made using only the strained juice from the cooked fruit (the fruit pulp is discarded). The juice is combined with sugar then cooked to a point at which it will set at room temperature. A good jelly should be transparent, firm enough to hold its own shape, but soft enough to quiver when cut with a spoon. To test if jam/jelly has jelled When your jam or jelly is thickening - at this stage, the mixture will have reduced to about half the original quantity -remove it from heat to test if it has jelled. Drop a teaspoon of mixture onto a saucer that has been chilled in a freezer for a few minutes. Return saucer to freezer until jam or jelly has cooled. • Jam that contains pieces of fruit should have formed a skin that wrinkles when pushed with finger. • Jam that has a thick and pulpy texture should have a spreadable consistency • Jelly should be a firm mass on the saucer. If mixture has not jelled, return to heat and boil mixture rapidly until it will jell when subsequently tested (this may only take a few minutes). If you have a candy thermometer, it's handy to know that jams and jellies will reach jelling point at 105°C to 106°C. Push jam with a finger to test if it has jelled