Well Preserved

Some things are better short and sweet so let`s get down to business and share a tip that produces a brighter jam:

• Slightly (or completely) crush your berries.  Add your sugar.  Stir without heat.  Leave to rest for an hour before continuing with your recipe.

WHen I make jam I tend to start with the fruit or berries before setting up my water bath and other canning equipment to give the fruit a chance to rest (boiling the water is typically the long point in preserving which is why I normally start there and this is the one exception when I invert my process.

When I do this I tend to reserve some whole fruit or large chunks to the side which can be added in later.  I used to crush all the fruit and my taste was great but I like the added thrill of the odd HUGE berry find in my jam for texture and taste (and, of course, bragging rights to gloat over the person next to you who didn`t get one ).

Jams can be darkened by substituting some of your white sugar with brown – bt we`ll cover sugar substitutions tomorrow.

As always, would love to hear your sure-fire, can`t-miss jam tips out there!