PLUMS FOR JAM

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 17966, 11 March 1930, Page 5

PLUMS FOR JAM

GENERAL JAM-MAKING HINTS. It is .well worth while making the most of summer fruits and; getting the shelves well filled again with homemade preserves. Plums and damsons of good quality make such attractive jams, just “sharp" enough to toe appetising, and without the cloying sweetness that is overpowering in some preserves. The big yellow plums, combined with specially prepared dried apricot, make a delicious apricot jam. Wash a pound of best quality dried apricots, quarter them, and soak them in three pints of water for 24 hours. Wash well Gib of yellow egg plums, stalk, slit each, and remove any specks at all with a small knife. Put them, with the apricots and the water they were soaked in, into a well-buttered preserving pan, and simmer gently until soft. Add gradually 51b to 61b (according to sweetness of plums) of crushed preserving sugar, and boil until a little “sets" in the usual way when testing. Some General Hints. Here are a few general hints which will help you when you start your jam-making. See that the fruit Is dry, and that it is free from dust-, and not over-ripe. If the fruit cannot he used at once, keep it in a cool place. Buy good sugar; common sugar spoils the flavour, and by the quantity of scum thrown up much jam is wasted. Though a copper preserving pan is best a cast-iron enamelled preserving or stewing pan serves the purpose just as well; the enamel does not chip. Tinned pans should be avoided, as they are apt to spoil the colour of the fruit. ’lf two kinds of fruit are being used;, put the hardest kind In first. Remove all scum as It rises, and stir the jam gently but thoroughly now and then. The jam should boll fast, as a slow cooking will spoil the colour. 801 l until a spoonful jellies when allowed to become perfectly cold on a plate. Adding Sugar. To most fruits —and certainly to all acid kinds —allow equal quantities ot fruit and sugar. Bring the fruit to the boil, and then add the sugar; the jam is less likely to ferment; though if the fruft Is desired whole, boil the sugar first to a syrup, and then acid the fruit. It is a wise plan to butter the bottom of the pan slightly; it will prevent the jam from sticking and getting burnt, if the fire is fierce, or the pan thin, put the pan on a trivet over the fire. Pour the jam into clean, dry jars, and cover when cold. Keep in a cool, dry place. Jam does not keep well if stored in a place that is the slightest bit damp, or in a stuffy atmosphere. Damson Fool. Damson Fool.—Damsons (as required), sugar, allow one pint of custard to one pint of damson pulp, cream. Prepare the damsons and put- into a saucepan with sugar to taste, and just sufficient water to keep them from burning. Stew gently till they are tender, then rub them through a sieve. Measure the pulp thus obtained and make an equal amount of custard. When both are cold mix together and stir in half a gill of cream or more as desired. If the cream is thin, whisk it first until it thickens. To make the custard. —Use. two eggs to one pint of milk. Bring the milk almost to the boil and add to (he beaten eggs- In hot weather it is better to boil the milk and then let- it cool slightly before adding f to the eggs. Turn inlo (he fop of a double boiler, add one tablespoonfu 1 of sugar, and stir over hot water until it thickens; or, if a double boiler is not available, turn the custard into a jug and stand in a saucepan of hot water to cook.. Remove from the pan of hot water directly it is ready otherwise if- will curdle. Add flavouring as desired.