Do you have any good jam ideas?

Question

I got calcium activated pectin a month or two ago and have been experimenting with jams. Because it is calcium activated, I don't have to use a ton of sugar as with regular jam making.

Some of the jams I have made are:

Strawberry blueberry jam

blueberry jam

blueberry salal jam

and orange pineapple jelly (not a jam, but whatever)

I also have plans to experiment with oregon grape salal jam. But anyway, do you have any good ideas for more jam experiments? I'm sure I can come up with all kinds of interesting and yummy jams, but I thought I'd see if anyone on here came up with a good idea that I wouldn't have thought of.

Answer 1

Now here is one that will tickle your experimental fancy;

Aloe Jam

Cut the older leaves from the stem where the leaves are thickest

Place upright with cut end to the bottom so that as much sap can drain as is possible. Stand for a day or so...

Trim point edges and tips so that the portions that are left would all be about 10 mm thick, otherwise the pieces are too thin tomake jam from...

Cut the white or transparent pieces in to about 30 mm squares and peel each one from top to bottom

Soak in clean water for a few hours, and rinse under running water when done. There must be no yellowy bits left afer rinsing.

Prick each portion well with a fork

Lie overnight in lime rich water by adding 2 table spoons of lime powder to the water that covers the aloe. Lime is generally available from pharmacies.

Idealy you would dissolve lime in warm water before adding to aloe portions.

Next day, rinse aloe portions again in running water

Weigh out the following;

For every 2,7 KG aloe, you would use 3.2 KG sugar

About 4 table spoons of lemon juice is handy because it would preven jam turning in to sand sugar.

Boil aloe for about 30 minutes in clean water and drain.

In the mean while, do the syrup...

Add the portions of aloe one by one so that the sypur does not stop boiling

Allow to simmer for about 1 ½ hours until aloe portions become transperant and the syrup thickens.

Stand the aloe portion in the syrup over night so that the aloe can absorb the syrup.

Next day, remove the aloe while heating the syrup again. Replace the aloe portions back in to syrup once it is heated.

Bring to the boil.

Place the aloe portions in to hot, sterilized bottles and cover with syrup before sealing.

AND THIS ONE IS ALSO REALLY DIFFERENT.

Green pepper marmalade/jam

This is a lovely jam for having on toast. Be sure to chop the green peppers finely

4 cups of finely chopped green peppers 500 ml sugar

2 ml salt 2 ml fine ginger

2 ml mixed spice

Mix all ingredience in a stainless steel pot and stand for 21/2 hours. Bring to boil for about 40 minutes over a moderate heat until syrup thickens. Remove from heat and bottle while warm in sterilized bottles.

Answer 2

this is one i've wanted to try:

Garlic Jam

INGREDIENTS:

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white vinegar

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp pectin*

1/4 tsp canola oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a breadmaker on the “jam” cycle. Press start and wait about 70 minutes.

2. When the breadmaker is finished, transfer the jam to a plastic container and refridgerate for 2-4 hours, or until cooled and set. Tranfer to a glass jar.

OR:

1. If your breadmaker doesn’t make jam, bring the garlic, pectin, water, canola oil and vinegar to a boil.  Add the sugar and boil for about 2 minutes.

2. Let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes and then stir well.  Pour into glass jars and refrigerate to store.

*I used Pomona’s Universal Pectin, which I found at Whole Foods, which also required a calcium solution dissolved in water to activate. I used 1 tsp of the calcium solution, as directed by the pectin package. Use the directions on your pectin box for this step, as needed!

Makes about 3/4 cup of jam. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Answer 3

make jelly filled donuts /any jam  A jelly doughnut recipe using your favorite jelly for filling.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons butter

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water

3 egg yolks

3 3/4 cups sifted flour (sift before measuring)

raspberry or strawberry jam or jelly

1 egg white, slightly beaten

oil for deep frying

confectioners' sugar

Preparation:

In a saucepan, heat milk to scalding; small bubbles will form around edge of saucepan. Remove from heat; add 1/3 cup sugar, the salt, and the butter; stir to melt. Set aside and let cool to lukewarm.

In a large mixing bowl, sprinkle yeast over warm water; stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture, egg yolks, and 2 cups of the flour. With a hand-held electric mixer, beat at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. With a wooden spoon, beat in remaining flour; beat until smooth. Cover soft dough with a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Turn to coat with flour, then knead 10 times, until dough is smooth. Divide dough in half. Roll out half of the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into a dozen 3-inch rounds. Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of half of the rounds. Brush edge with a little egg white then top with remaining rounds of dough. Press edges to seal. Place filled rounds on a floured baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cover filled rounds with towel and let rise for about an hour, until doubled in bulk.

Heat oil in a deep fryer or skillet (about 2 inches deep) to 350°. Carefully drop doughnuts in hot fat, top side down, 2 to 3 at a time. Fry, turning as they come to the surface, then turning again, until golden brown, about 4 minutes in all. Open one to test for doneness and gauge a more exact time for remaining doughnuts. Lift out with slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Sift powdered sugar over tops while still warm.

Makes about 12 to 15 jelly doughnuts

Answer 4

http://www.therecipecafe.com/Jams.html