Evidences

In my family, cooking is a normal, natural part of the daily routine. All through her working career, my (now retired) mother even had a weekly cooking routine : she'd cook easy dishes that didn't need a lot of prep time through the week, then on Saturday morning my parents would go grocery shopping at the market, and on Sunday morning my mother would take over the kitchen, make something a little fancier than usual for lunch, and often cook a second batch, or another dish she would freeze for later. In the summer month and during the summer vacations, she'd buy cheap, almost too ripe fruit in bulk to make jam. I've seen her and my father's mother cook for so long it all seemed natural to me. Watching my other grandmother's nearly non-existent cooking habits should have made me realize that cooking might not be as natural but... no.

I nearly fell off my chair when I heard a girl my age didn't know how to make jam. And then again when I read a bunch of jam recipes. Why should things be so complicated ? Making jam is simple, if slightly time-consuming. But seeing as you make a year's jam supply with each fruity batch, the time issue becomes much more relative.

This is my mother's general recipes, the one we use to make strawberry jam, apricot jam, apple-and-rhubarb jam, apple-and-quince jam, plum jam, cherry jam. My mother just cuts the fruit into not-too-big pieces, I prefer to run a hand-blender through mine just before I put them into the jars.

A few things to consider

• It does not take much longer to prepare 5 pounds of jam than just one, so as long as you're not experimenting with a new-to-you fruit or fruits combination, go ahead and make a big batch. Just make sure your cooking pot(s) is big enough and you have enough jars.
• You will prepare the fruit and sugar in the evening, and cook the jam the next day.
• Be sure to have (enough) jars clean, dry and ready when the jam is done. I leave them (and their lids) for 20 minutes in boiling water to sterilize them and then just let them air dry on a clean towel. If you're unsure about how many jars you'll use, prepare a few more.
• The jars will be HOT right after you've filled them. I tend to schedule my jam-making for when I can leave them on the table to cool for a few hours afterwards (not too close to the table’s edge, so that the little fingers won't get burnt !)
• Think about how you will seal your jars. I mostly use screw-on lids, depending on what jars I have at hand.
• Pectin is often concentrated in seeds and skin. When making apple jam, I put the apple cores I have cut out into a small, closed cloth bag and let it cook with the jam.
• You will need a LONG spoon (to reach the bottom of the cooking pot without burning your fingers), preferably of wood, to stir the jam and ladle to put it into the jars.

The trusty jam recipe

Wash, it necessary peel, stone, dice the fruit. Weigh it and place it in the pot you will use to cook it. Add the same weigh of sugar. Cover and let it sit for 8 to 24 hours, until a) you have time and b) there's a good quantity of juice in the pot.

Place a clean plate in your fridge.

Bring the pot over onto the stove, and turn the heat on. Once the jam is boiling, turn the heat down so that is keeps happily blubbering without overflowing. Stir regularly, all through the bottom of the pot to prevent the fruit from adhering to it. Check on your jam regularly to make sure it is not trying to escape from the pot (jams takes up a LOT more space when boiling and can overflow easily), stir some more. Do NOT cover the pot, as the water needs to evaporate - plus, the jam would run over pretty quickly.

Let the jam on the stove for 30 minutes to one hour. To check whether or not it is done, take the plate out of the fridge and pour just one drop of jam onto it. It should turn almost solid instantly and not run if you move the plate. If it does, let the jam cook for some more.

When the jam is ready, use a ladle to pour it into the jars. I re-use store-bought jam jars, pickle jars... and their lids. Right after I've filled the jars, I screw the lid on and turn the jar on its head (being careful not to burn my fingers !). I turn them back on their "feet" once the jam has cooled.

Label the jars (I write down what it is and when I made it) and store them in a cool, dry place. As long as they've been thoroughly cooked and well sealed, they can keep for some years.

De-bugging

Sometimes jam does not keep perfectly... It does not mean you need to throw that whole batch from last year away.

• cristallization : sugar cristals, mostly on the surface of the jam, caused by too much sugar, overcooking it or storing it in a too warm place. Just add 1 or 2 tablespoons of boiling water to dissolve the sugar before eating the jam. And next time you make jam out of this fruit, use a little less sugar.
• mold : it can happen if the jam hasn't been cooked enough. If it's just a little bit in one pot, carefully take it out, store the jar in the fridge and eat this jar first. If the whole batch shows mold, you will have to cook it again. Empty the jars in a pot, boil the jam again, clean the jars, etc.