JAM JARGON Jam is made from fruit pulp or pieces in a syrup made with sugar and sometimes additional juice or water. Jellies are clear, using the juice strained from the cooked fruit with sugar. Conserves are similar to jam, but slightly softer and often with whole pieces of fruit. Fruit paste and fruit cheese are thick, usually firm or set enough to be sliced or cut. Made from fruit, puree and sugar, they are sometimes spiced.

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HOW JELLIES AND JAMS COME TOGETHER For a jam or jelly to set, there needs to be acid and pectin (both in the fruit) and sugar in the correct quantities. The level of acid and pectin varies from fruit to fruit and so some set well, others not, but when tose that do are mixed with those that don't, a lovely jam can be easily made. The secret is to know which fruit are what. To help you, here is a simple list of fruit and fruit combinaions that will make good jam. Fruits with good quanitites of pectin and acid that make jam easily: raspberry, boysenberry, loganberry, gooseberry, black and red currants, plums, grapes, tart apples, citrus fruits, crab apples. Fruits that have inadequate sources of pectin and acid to make jam: figs, peaches, pears, cherries. These fruit are best blended with those in the above list to make a good-setting jam. GOOD COMBINATIONS Where one fruit has a poor level of acid or pectin, it works better with a partner. Those in capital letters are the fruits that need a partner: BLACKBERRY and tart apple TAMARILLO and sour orange STRAWBERRY and plum STRAWBERRY and Cranberry CHERRY and tart apple APRICOT and tart apple GET SET FOR SUCCESS All jams have to reach a setting point if you wish them to have a thick, not runny consistency. This also means the jams have boiled sufficient to be "preserved" and not go off during storage. To know when a jam has reached setting point, follow these basic steps: - Put a sauces in the fridge once the jam begins to boil. - When 10 minutes of boiling time is up, remove the jam from the heat (so it does not continue to boil) and drop half a teaspoonful onto the cold saucer. - Stand 30 seconds. Hold the plate to eye level and push the jam with your index finger. If you see wrinkles in the surface, the jam is ready to be bottled. - If jam is not ready, return to the boil and re-test after 5 minutes extra cooking time. THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT Next to making sur you have enough sugar for making jams, ensuring you have all the right equipment is essential to avoid failure. Jam Pan or Saucepan: Under 1 kg of fruit: use a large saucepan Over 1 kg of fruit: invest in a jam pan. When boiling, jam should only come half way up the sides of the pan. Spoons: Wooden spoons with long handles. And, to avoid a sticky mess, have a saucer nearby to rest the spoon on. Scales: Important for measuring the large amounds of fruit and sugar used for jam making. Colander or sieve: To rinse the fruit in. A sieve is useful to help make jelly. Spouted jug: Must be heatproof and have a deep point for pouring the very hot jam or jelly into the jars. Heatproof oven mits or thick old dry cloths: Have more than you think you need to ensure no-one gets burned. Jars with lids or seal: Have the correct number of jars to hold all thejam and ensure thy are clean and ready to heat. REAL SUCCESS - Fruit must be ripe, but not over-ripe. If picking your own, avoid days after rain as fruits will absorb water, making them harder and less likely to set. - Prepare the jam soon after picking or buying the fruit, leaving fruit in a warm kitchen will cause it to ripen further. - Wash fruit quickly and do not leave to soak. - Try to make quanitites of about 1 kilogram of fruit into jam or jellies as it reaches setting point quickly to return colour and flavour. - Do your prep work beforehand: have the fruit and sugar measured, lemons and a squeezer at hand in case you need the juice to assist with the setting, jars washed an drinsed in clear water. - Place jars in a 120ºC oven to preheat so that, when jam is added, they won't break fro mthe heat. Don't place hot empty or filled jars on a cold or wet bench - they will crack. - Jam is best made without a break in the procedure. - Use a large wide jam pan as jam boils up very quickly. - Once the sugar has been added and has dissoved, the jam needs to come to a full rolling boil until it reaches setting poihnt. - Fill hot jars with hot jam or jelly to about 0.5cm off the top of the jar. - Cover the jars with a paper towel and seal with a paraffin wax and/or lid when cold. If covering with cellophone, cover when preserve is hot. - Store jam in a cool place away from light, heat and moisture. After storage, if any mould appears on top of the jam, scoop it off and a little jam beneath it. The remaining jam is fine to eat.