4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[The Dogmother]

I've been busy the last couple of evenings...

 

I had some gooseberries in the freezer (from the Outlaws' veggie patch) and made 14 jars of lovely, pink goosegog jam.

 

I have started hedgerowing and have made 16 jars of hedgerow jelly (wild apples, blackberries and elderberries).

 

There are about 3kg of red currants in the freezer (again from the Outlaws) which will become red currant jelly when I get a moment. I am thinking of adding rosemary to the red currant jelly to see if that works.

 

The Rowan berries are ready to harvest, so will get onto those when I get time, then freeze them to make into Wild apple and rowan jelly.

 

The rest of the elderberries are coming along nicely and the sloes look set to be early this year.

 

I love this time of year

[Egluntyne]

Why do I always think of Bob Marley when people say they have been jamming?

[The Dogmother]

Funny you should say that, it was on my mind too as I typed the title

[Patricia W]

There's something wholesome and inviting about a jam pan....

 

Tricia

[The Dogmother]

I love the smell of jam making

[Cinnamon]

.......................and I hope you like Jamming too

 

Sound fab Clare.

 

I am seriously excited about Jam season again this year, but found a couple of rouge jars of last years batch so I think I may try my hand at other ways to use up fruits too.

 

At least I know the boozey makes will get used

[LesleyH]

We have a Jonh Downie crab apple tree in our garden which makes lovely jam - we have done our first batch...just need some jars for another lot

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I think LMW and I will be jamming this coming week, one of my collegaues asked me if I wanted some blackberries - oh yes please I said - he presented me with a 4 litre squash container full! So heavy I struggled to carry it to the car. Its currently in the freezer!

[Ygerna]

I can't wait to get chance to go out and forage. Will have to wait for about two weeks though, will I be too late

[The Dogmother]

I noticed that my plums are ready - will try to get them picked tonight and then will jam them up.

 

Phil brought a jar of homemade blackcurrant jam from the outlaws when he came to stay at the weekend... delicious with clotted cream on scones

 

I still have those red currants in the freezer... I think I will have to order more jars!

[Space Chick]

We've run out of jars, and we've had the family saving jars all year

 

We've made Strawberry jam, Raspberry jam and courgette chutney so far. However, have 4 kilos of plums and 3 kilos of blackberrys to make jam with

 

I need to find somewhere cheap to buy jars and quick

[Ygerna]

I get mine online from 'The Jam Jar Shop'. They have been good regarding service and after sales care too.

[Space Chick]

Just looked they are 50p per jar & P&P, they seem to be the cheapest place......

 

However, Sainsburys sell their Basics Strawberry jam for 38p and would be delivered with my shopping, as much as it would gall me to do it, it would be cheaper to buy the jam for the jar and ditch the jam

 

Morally guys - what should I do?

[LesleyH]

thats a tough one...we ran out of jars and had to buy some from lakeland... it's well expensive...will try harder to save them next year!!!

 

could you but the cheap jam and use it for cooking so its not wasted??? do a jam roly poly or something...its just a thought

[Space Chick]

Just had a closer look at the Sainsburys site, they have Marmalade for 27p and smaller jars of mint sauce for 15p, I can't justify spending twice the price and P&P for jars without filling.

 

These jars are perfect sizes for my use. Its complete madness.

[The Dogmother]

Ascotts are the cheapest I've found for jars. Their customer service is good too; an order once went astray when the courier left it in my porch (against my instructions) and it disappeared.. my porch is almost right on the footpath. They sent out a replacement order.

[Ygerna]

I think thats where I got my egg boxes off to check.

[Christian]

I always use Ascotts for mixed corn, egg boxes and jars

[The Dogmother]

Made some more jam last night - Plum, Nectarine and honey... deliciously fragrant and tastes of sunshine.

 

Plums from the garden, nectarines from a friend who grows them indoors and local honey.. the house smelled delicious

[Ygerna]

I got home Wednesday evening to find 4lbs of Damsons on my doorstep. I made some Jam that night, tried it yesterday and today (twice). Its very, very nice

[Space Chick]

Well as ashamed as I am to admit it. Sainsburys had jars of curry sauce on sale for 4p a jar, they are really good jars. I bought up their stock for the jars for my chutney and jam.

 

I'm a bad bad person

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Well as ashamed as I am to admit it. Sainsburys had jars of curry sauce on sale for 4p a jar, they are really good jars. I bought up their stock for the jars for my chutney and jam.

 

I'm a bad bad person

 

I stock up on Tescos mint sauce at 9p a jar I think....it's the most vile stuff I've ever tasted and I consider it a service to the other customers who cannot buy it due to me tipping it down the toilet

 

Sha x

[Space Chick]

Well as ashamed as I am to admit it. Sainsburys had jars of curry sauce on sale for 4p a jar, they are really good jars. I bought up their stock for the jars for my chutney and jam.

 

I'm a bad bad person

 

I stock up on Tescos mint sauce at 9p a jar I think....it's the most vile stuff I've ever tasted and I consider it a service to the other customers who cannot buy it due to me tipping it down the toilet

 

Sha x

 

 

You have a very good point, yey I am doing people are favour

[LesleyH]

I am frightened by the power of the super markets. How can they sell products this cheap when we cannot but the jars alone for 10 times the price? It spells the end of the world as we know it.

I took up knitting a while ago - but abandoned it after it became so damn expensive.

What a scary society we live in...just think about it - what will it be like in 50 years? Will there be nothing independant available to buy - will you have to order it online and will there only be mainstream brands - or will there be some kind of revolution where we overthrow the supermarkets and revert to buying from small stores and making things cheaper at home?

[Ygerna]

 

I stock up on Tescos mint sauce at 9p a jar I think....it's the most vile stuff I've ever tasted and I consider it a service to the other customers who cannot buy it due to me tipping it down the toilet

 

Sha x

 

But doesn't this just perpetuate the problem? When someone buys it, Tesco say there is a market for it and continue to poroduce it.

 

What surprises me, is the number of people who think making Jam, Lemon Curd, cordials etc is something which either takes a very long time and lots of expertise or worse still is only something that can be made by supermarkets.

 

I am on the school PSA and as part of a fundraising attempt I am putting together some of my favourite recipes for homemade things and will be getting a little booklet made. Hopefully this may perhaps encourage others to at least try it. Ideally I'd like to see Delia, or Jamie or someone of their ilk do some preserving and such. Maybe then there would be a surge in popularity and it would take off as their other campaigns have.