Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Abbey Road Girl]

Reading the "jam virgin" thread inspired me to get some local strawberries and follow suit. However, I happened to see a recipe for strawberry conserve which looked easier. For one thing, it uses granulated sugar equal in weight to the weight of the prepared berries. You are supposed to use medium sized whole berries (stem and core removed) but I had quite a few large berries which I cut into haves or even thirds. Doesn't look quite as pretty but is less wasteful.

 

Layer your prepared strawberries in a large basin, covering each layer with the sugar.

 

Leave covered (large plate or tea towel) for 24 hours then bring to the boil in your preserving pan/stockpot and cook for five minutes.

 

Return the mixture to the basin and leave covered for 48 hours.

 

Return to the preserving pan/stockpot and cook until it reaches the setting point, using a cooking thermometer.

 

The recipe said to let it cool until it forms a skin before you put it into your sterilised jars but I think the only purpose of that is so that the berries will be distributed more evenly. I put the hot conserve into the hot jars before sealing them. Since they are not large jars it should be easy to stir the berries around.

 

I wish I could take photos because the stuff is so beautiful! Really really red. No pectin and no risk of overcooking, just pure flavour! It is runny and thus not suitable for competitions the recipe warns. But it was really easy.

 

The same recipe can be used for raspberries.

[Guest]

I just bung;

 

300g fruit

220g jam sugar

2 tbsps lemon juice

 

into my breadmaker, switch it to the jam setting and leave it to do it's job.

 

About 1 hour 40 mins later it's read to pour into sterilised jars. Dead easy!

 

I love my breadmaker, it's so versatile.

 

only drawback is it only makes just over 1 jar at a time so if you want to do it in bulk, it's not the way to go

[Abbey Road Girl]

My kitchen is way too small for me to have room for a breadmaker, but your way of making jam, Poet, must certainly be the fastest ever!

 

Having seen your yummy looking cake though, I immediately flashed on a loaf-shaped jar of jam!

[pbfhpunk]

Does this work with any fruit?

 

Was thinking of gooseberries

 

Thanks

 

Helen