This is my favourite jam, head to head with raspberry. It’s flavour is intense and full of the smells of ripe summer berries and if you love pippy jam this won’t disappoint. I love pippy jam, that’s probably why I love raspberry. In my humble opinion these are the only two jams, complete with pips, that should be served with scones and cream (OK fake cream because of rationing).
Mixed type berry jams were popular during the 1940s because many of the berries could be picked from hedgerows or off garden bushes and put all together to have enough to make a batch.
I used the long slow boil method so no added pectin (which you can buy in a packet from your local store if you prefer to use it). No mashing of berries needed (and if you have frozen berries that’s fine too) as gently simmering them for a long time breaks them down shortly before your reach your gelling point (when the jam starts to stiffen and set when you drop a little onto a cold plate).
I find that I only use about half my weekly ration of sugar so I have plenty in the cupboard and at harvest time, during WW2, the government increased it’s weekly sugar ration to help families preserve what they had grown and the weekly allowance per person would sometimes increase from 8 oz to 16 oz per week.
Please have a go at this jam, I actually used 2 lbs of frozen mixed summer berries bought from my supermarket as I am not yet growing these in my garden.
Summer Berry Jam
- 2 lbs of mixed summer berries (I used equal amounts of strawberries, blackberries, red and black currants)
- 1 lb of sugar
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice if available (if not two tablespoons of water)
- Blob of butter or vegetable oil (reduces foaming)
Method
- Rinse fruit and drain
- Add to large pan and add sugar and lemon juice
- Slowly bring to a gentle simmer and slowly stir
- Cook for 20-30 minutes until a small blob of jam gels on a cold plate (I put a plate in the fridge and drop a smidgen on to it, wait a few minutes then test it for consistency)
- When it appears to be gelling it is time to pour into a clean jug and pour into hot sterilized jars (I rinsed clean jam jars and placed them in a medium over throughout the jam making process to sterilize)
- Add hot clean lids and tighten up and set aside
- Lids should depress as a vacuum forms in the first hour or so
Makes 4 or 5 medium jars
Looks gorgeous.
i don’t see the butter added in the directions.. what am i missing?
Missed that! Just add the blob of butter in when you are cooking the fruit and sugar together etc. Thanks x
I can explain the butter, it’s added to prevent scum forming so there is no skimming required, and consequently no waste. It can be used in any preserve recipe whether a jam, chutney, etc.
It’s a method my auntie used, she was a professional cook housekeeper to a dignitary in Crieff, Scotland – yes, just like Janet in “Dr Finlay’s Casebook” – how old does that make me then ?
Pingback: Staples to Have on Hand – Tax Services And Quality Accounting, Bookkeeping, Payroll And Tax Services- Oakland, CA
Does this recipe not require a boiling water bath?