Oh Pur-Lease - What Am I? Mrs. Beaton?????

I have produced nearly 100 (only very slight exaggeration if at all) pots of JAM - What am I like Ladies and Gents????

Neighbours gave me DAMSONS (in Distress) - local Kwikee Mart had bags of shug for only 65 pence! I made jam.  Thusly:


Picked through the mountain of damsons and chucked out any suspect fruit.


washed and squashed the stones out of each fruit.  (tedious but strangely soothing activity)

weighed the fruit (discovered it was nearly a stone!)


boiled up fruit in HUGE (you have to see it!) witches Cauldron.  Stirring so it doesnt burn.

added the same amount of sugar as the weighed fruit (actually couldnt bring myself to add that much sugar so my first batch was more of a Plum Sauce... subsequent batches however got the full amount)


Kept stirring (well inbetween washing and sterilising jam jars - 6 at a time in the microwave for about 4 mins)
Remembered to keep the jam jars warm....


When the jam came to a "Rolling Boil" I put a spoonful on a saucer and stuck it in the freezer for a couple of mins.  - Jam is ready when this test (I had to do several) kind of wrinkles when you gently press it forward with your little finger.


Remembered (was reminded by sister) that Great Nan used to put tiny bit of butter on the top of the jam in the pan which sent all the scummy froth over to the sides where you can easily skim it off.  Decided Great Nan would have used a drop of olive oil for this if she had had any - so did.  It worked - the jam cleared.


By now I suppose it had been boiling for about 10 or 15 mins.  Decided it was done.  Ladled it into my warm jam jars and sealed it. - Also remembered to wipe off the sticky drips while they were still warm.

And that, ladies and gents, was that.  Now who wants some!