Jam Making

The weather being so good for soft fruit, I have taken to jam production in a big way. I have done it before, but I've always found it a bit tedious, and the washing up endless. This year, however, one the old boys on the allotment told me about using the microwave and it has revolutionised jam making. You take on pound of soft fruit and the juice of a lemon and put them both in a large microwavable bowl (glass is best). I have a large pyrex one that is perfect.You microwave the berries and juice on high for four minutes. Then you remove the bowl from the microwave and stir in one pound of caster sugar (golden or white) and stir until the sugar is dissolved. You can tell when it is ready because the there is no more gritty feel when you stir. You then return the bowl to the microwave and cook on full from 10 to 20 minutes depending, stirring every 5 minutes or so. When you think the jam is ready, about 10 minutes or so, test it for set by putting a little onto a saucer that has been cooled in the freezer. Push the jam with your finger and if it crinkles as you push it, it is ready to pot up. Pour the jam into jars that have been well washed and sterilised in a warm oven (100 C) for 10 minutes.

This is all amazingly quick, and clean, it is so easy to turn one pound of fruit into 2 jars of jam.