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AUsing a large metal
spoon, remove and
discard any scum
from the surface
of the marmalade.BUse a medium heatproof
jug to pour the hot jam into
jars; seal while hot. Label
and date jars when cold.
Store in a cool,dark place.1 Dip a wooden spoon
in the jam. Hold the bowl
of the spoon towards you.
If jam is ready, large drops
will roll along the edge of
the spoon to form almost
a triangle of thick jam.2 Drop a teaspoon
of jam onto a saucer
that has been chilled
either in the fridge
or freezer. The jam
should cool quickly
to room temperature.3 Push the jam with
your finger, the skin
will wrinkle if the jam
is ready. If the jam is
not jelling, return it
to the heat and boil
it again.AWW FOOD • ISSUE TWENTY-ONE
Perfect Preserv
COOK’S
NOTES
DO
*Choose the best quality,
freshest vegetables and
fruit – slightly under-ripe
is best.
*Be fussy about
sterilising jars and
lids. The jars should be
hot when the hot preserve
is poured into them.
*Stand marmalades and
some jams after cooking
to allow the fruit to settle
and disperse through the
syrup before bottling.
*Fill the jars to the top
with the preserve; it will
shrink slightly on cooling,
leaving a small space
between the lid and the
surface of the preserve.
*Only make small
amounts of jam at a time.
The overall quality and
clarity will be better.DON’T
*Increase the quantities
of the recipes.
* Reduce the sugar
content. Preserves made
without enough sugar will
not keep and may not set.
* Use jars that are cracked
or chipped. They could
break from the heat of
the preserve; chips could
harbour harmful bacteria.es
COOK’S
3 WAYS OF HOW TO TEST JELLING
Traditionally, preserving
was done year−round, each
season, to keep food until
nature made it available
next time The methods
of preserving in days gone
by were often as simple as
drying – either in the sun
or in a warm area set aside
for the purpose, or in a
part of the kitchen where
food was hung to dry
Smoking was, and still
is, a popular method
of preserving food,
particularly different types
of meat and seafood
Salting and curing in brine
worked well for meat, tooMARMALADE EQUIPMENT
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