Locomotoring

Jams and marmalades this season

Black berry jam:
It is the end of the season here, and I picked up 2 lbs of blackberry at 1/2 the usual price!

Rinse, crush, and add 1 lb sugar. Add juice of 1 lemon reserving the zest. Cook on medium until candy thermometer reads 220 F. Switch off flame, add zest of the lemon and proceed to can.

Sour cherries

Made a batch of marmalade this spring following David Lebovitz‘s recipe. We did only one alteration – removed the white pith from the rind before chopping them up. This part is a bit of hard work but the result is absolutely the best Seville orange marmalade ever. Read up more on brioche with marmalade.

Sour cherry jam:
After reading about these for years and hearing raves, I saw fresh sour cherries for the first time in my life at a local grocery store last week of July. They are delicious indeed.

Rinse the cherries, pit them and weigh them. Add 1/2 the amount in sugar e.g. if pitted cherries  are 2 lbs, add 1 lb sugar. Add juice of a lemon, reserving the zest. Cook until 220F. Switch off flame, add a splash of vanilla and the reserved lemon zest. These cook in practically no time so watch out. The taste in an absolute delight.

General tips and techniques:

• If making jam with small quantities of fruit (<4 lbs), pick a pot that is not too wide. If using a large diameter pot, the candy thermometer won’t be submerged.
• Skim off the foam that rises to the top during the first 1/2 hr of cooking. The foam can be mixed with yogurt or icecream for a quick snack during jam making.