There is something I find so satisfying about making my own jam. It’s especially good when, like this weekend, we go over to White House Farm to pick our own raspberries. In this case, they went from plant to jar in just a couple of hours!
I am really pleased with this jam. There is something about it that tastes so ‘fresh’; it could be that it was made within a few hours of picking, or perhaps it was the lemons I like to add. To be honest, I think it’s all to do with the ‘secret’ ingredient in this recipe; peach!
I was given the excellent tip of adding a small amount of peach into the jam by Jacky the Wilderness Woman. Jacky is based in Plymouth but travels nationally running a range of wild food foraging courses. You should check her out if you’re interested in foraging; we’ll be seeing her for a walk in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for pics and details after the event.
Raspberry really is the ‘king’ of jams in my mind. It is so delicious and yet so simple to make that there’s no excuses for not giving it a go!
My jars and lids are all from JamJarShop.com but you can use old jars you may have around the house, as long as they are spotlessly clean and free from any damage. I would always recommend using new lids though, as these tend to cling on to the odour and flavour of the jar’s previous occupant!
However you source your jars, you’ll need to sterilise them before filling with jam. For details on this, have a look at Jamie Oliver’s video. It’s best to try to time it so that the jars will have been out of the oven for around 5 minutes before you fill them as hot jam into hot/warm jars makes for a good seal around the lid and no nasties can get into your jam.
For tips on how to spot when your jam is done, have a look at this BBC Good Food Video.
That’s enough pictures of my muffins for now, even if they are covered in gorgeous jam! Here’s the recipe for you to give it a go yourself.
‘Secret’ Raspberry Jam
A deliciously simple raspberry jam, with a flavour-enhancing secret ingredient!
Ingredients
- 1kg ripe raspberries
- 1kg JAM sugar
- 2 ripe flat peaches (or 1 regular peach)
- Juice of 2 medium lemons
Instructions
1. Pop the sugar in an oven-proof dish in the oven with the sterilising jars to warm and pop a couple of saucers in the freezer to chill.2. Wash and remove any dirt or debris from the berries, then peel and chop the peaches finely. Add the fruit, along with the lemon juice into a large saucepan over a medium heat.3. Cook for a few minutes, until the berries have broken down and the peaches are soft. Mash the fruit against the side of the pan with a wooden spoon to help it along if required.4. Add the sugar and stir well until completely dissolved.5. Turn the heat up high and bring the jam to a fierce rolling boil. This needs to be a very intense boil, one that can’t be stirred down with the spoon. Be very careful, if the jam spits and lands on you then it will hurt!6. Once a rolling boil is reached, start timing and boil the jam for 5 minutes. Remove the jam from the heat and test whether the jam is set, using the method shown above.7. If the jam is not set, boil for a few minutes more and test again, until it is ready.8. Pot up into warm sterilised jars and seal with the sterilised lids. Leave to cool completely.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 3-4lbs jamFor more great preserve recipes, check out these from other food bloggers:
- Fresh Lime Curd from Tinned Tomatoes
- wild strawberry, rose and purple gooseberry jam from Belleau Kitchen
- Mirabelle Plum Jam from Fab Food 4 All
- Slow Cooker Peach Jam from Tales From The Kitchen Shed
- Apricot and Apple Chutney from Farmersgirl Kitchen
You can also check out my Pinterest board for great preserves from across the world!
Follow Kevin Chambers-Paston’s board Preserving the season… on Pinterest.
I am entering this into the following challenges:
- Shop Local by Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary
- Simple and In Season by Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary and Ren Behan
Who'd have thunk? Do you taste the peach at all?
Nope, I can't taste it… It's such a small amount yet adds 'something' to the jam to make it extra delicious!
So interesting and such a great recipe. I love jam but that jam recipe you linked (thank you) was one of only a handful I've ever made. I must get better with the jam making.
I thought your jam was a really interesting combination of flavours, I bet it was delicious!
I am loving the jam and the peach tip Kevin. I haven't made jam for ages. I really must while berries are in season.
Absolutely, you must! We have a PYO farm fairly close so the fruit was extra fresh and much cheaper than a supermarket. I think I'd go bankrupt if I had to buy 1kg of raspberries from Tesco!
What a gorgeous sounding recipe! Beautiful photos too! Thank you for sharing with Shop Local and Simple and in Season