My Mum was a brilliant jam maker. This is her recipe.

This recipe works for most berries and stone fruit. It’s better to use fruit that is slightly on the under ripe side as it will have a higher pectin content which helps the jam to set.

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June’s Jam

Servings cups

Ingredients

2 kg fruit
1.5 kg sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1 knob butter

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pop 5-6 jars in the dishwasher to sterilise.
Wash fruit and chop into halves or quarters and discard stones.
Layer fruit and sugar in a large pot. Place on a high heat and squash the fruit to help release the juices.
Add lemon juice and bring to the boil. Place a small plate in the freezer.
Boil for 1 1/2 – 3 hours.
To test for setting, place about 1 teaspoon of jam on the small plate and return to the freezer for 3-4 minutes. Push jam with your finger, if it seems firm enough, you’re done. If not keep cooking and testing.
Stir butter in. Divide hot jam between warm jars straight from the dishwasher. Seal immediately.

Shelf Life

Will keep in the pantry for 2 years, or longer. Once opened will keep in the fridge for ages.

Variations

peach, apricot or nectarine jam – use peaches, apricots or nectarines as your fruit. Chop into quarters or eights before cooking.

blackberry jam – my favourite jam that my Mum used to make. Best if you can find a wild blackberry patch and use the fruit that is less ripe to get a good set.

strawberry jam – another favourite that my Mum made. Again, try and seek out underripe strawberries. If you can only get your hands on ripe strawberries, best to use the ‘low sugar jam’ recipe with added pectin so your jam will set.

different quantities – feel free to either halve or double or quadruple this recipe, the cooking time may need adjusting slightly with more or less in the pot.

Problem Solving Guide

burning – remember to stir the jam every 10-15 minutes to avoid burning. Although if it does ‘catch’ on the bottom as mine did, just change the name to ‘burnt’ jam.

too runny / not setting – setting all depends on your pectin levels and the time the jam is cooked for. If your fruit is too ripe, it won’t set no matter how long you cook it for. Extra lemon juice can help or adding some pectin powder.

too chunky – while the fruit will cook down considerably, if the chunks are large to begin with, your jam will be chunkier. Next time spend a little more time chopping the fruit finer. For now, a whizz with a stick blender can help smooth the jam out.

mould growing on the jam – this is a sign that something is wrong with your preserving system. It could be the jars weren’t cleaned enough in the dishwasher, the temperature of the jam wasn’t high enough when you bottled. Or the lids weren’t sealed properly. Another problem can be if the jars aren’t filled completely. For now best not to eat the mouldy jar. Next time be more careful or just store in the fridge.