I grew up of course with very rigid jam making rules and chasing the holy grail of a “perfect set” jam every time. And certainly a solid “set” jam has it’s advantages not sliding off that carefully buttered slice of toast. Now I like to “follow the fruit” and let it gel the way it wants, just naturally and according to how much pectin it contains.
This makes for more soft set dribbly jams – in the style of Turkish or Transilvanian jam making – but retains the true flavour of the fruit far better.
Being somewhere between a classic jam and a “compote” they lend themselves to all manner of culinary uses and are perhaps more suited to how we eat today? Use them to dribble over granola and yoghurt , over plainer cakes and best of all…spoon over porridge!
And the best thing of all? It is far far easier to make this kind of jam and makes for a relaxed jam making session without frantic setting tests and jam thermometers and all that paraphernalia.
Ingredients
for 6-7 200ml jars
- 1.5kgs apricots, slightly underipe-cut into quarters or eighths
- 300ml water
- 750g fruit sugar “fructose”
- 3 limes sliced very thinly
- 1 whole lime boiled and pureed
- 3tsp vanilla essence
How To
- The night before, macerate the apricots in the fructose and water. Stir slightly and refrigerate. A minimum of 8 hours required.
- Add the lime slices and bring the fruit to a boil starting at a low heat first.
- Large bubble stage: Boil at a medium heat – the fructose has a lower melting point than regular sugar so it can burn on the bottom of the pan. At first it will froth and the pectin will create a scum – skim off as much of the scum as you can. Let it boil away because magical things are happening as well as some evaporation of liquids.
- Continue boiling but at a lowish heat – until the jam starts to behave differently. The bubbles will be smaller and it will take on a “glassy” appearance. Take great care not to let it burn now on the bottom.
- Stir through the lime puree
- Take the jam off the heat and add the vanilla essence.
- Pot it into hot jars sterilised in a solution of bicarbonate of soda, the lids too.
- Turn the jars upside down to sterilise the airspace or water bath them – as you prefer.
