Jams & Jellies

[MBOU]

Hi all,
 
Its that time of year (well... mostly past it now for most fruits!!) but I was wondering if anyone has been making jams, jellies, chutneys or preserves of any kind?
 
My mum has always made strawberry jam, raspberry jam, blackcurrant jelly and bramble jelly every year for as long as I can remember! But my mum and I in the kitchen together.... nah ah!! I have wanted to make jams and jellies for ages but not been brave enough to try nor willing to ask advise
 
I also have a taste for the 'quirky and unusual'... so after searching hedgerows when out walking the dog, I have settled on making Rosehip Jelly (didn't realise how beautiful these smell after having your hands massacred by the thorns!!). Whilst really struggling to find a recipe I feel comfortable with, I discovered a recipe for hawthorn berry jelly (I was under the impression these were poisonous!?) and even better still... Lavender Jelly oh my goodness!! MUST make Lavender Jelly!!
 
Am about to go and start cooking down the rosehips now and seeing as they will need to be left overnight to strain, I will then identify the types of lavender in our garden and pick some before its too late!
 
Bit terrified of trying to get jelly to set!! Wish me luck!

 

[Chad]

I am very jealous. My mom and grandma are from Kentucky and grew up in the forest. There one could find all sorts of things to eat and "canning" was a way of life. I loved eating what my great grandmother would make. Here in Arizona there are place where raspberries and wild strawberry can be found but they are few and far between and so far from my home as to make it impractical to harvest. What we get in the store is worthless. I must charter a flight and come have jam with you! Ah...the distance.

 

[fluttermoth]

I'm a bit of a jam maker, when I can be bothered 

 
I've only made rose petal (from a gorgeous rose called 'Crimson Glory that I have in the garden; it came out awesome; imagine jam made out of Turkish delight, that's what it's like!) and bramble this year.
 
Are you using preserving sugar, MBOU? It does help with low pectin things like flowers and rose hips. I usually cheat a bit and put bramley apples in mine to help with the setting

 
I know hawthorn berries aren't poisonous; I suppose people think they are because they're red! I bet wild strawberry jam would be so fantastic, if you could manage to pick enough

 

[MBOU]

Screw trying to pick enough wild strawberries!!
 
Im a bit hacked off Flutter, trying to be a smartass I used Bramley apples... before I saw your post!... And its gone a vile cloudy colour! Gutted! Now it just reeks of apple lol. Mental note... half the apples or just use the preserving sugar!! Stupid thing is... I already have loads of preserving sugar!! Doh!
 
Its still straining but I will end with exactly 3 litres to boil up with sugar tomorrow and I only used a third of my rosehips!
 
I absolutely love rose!! I never been sure what rose petals were edible to be honest and it really scares me a bit! I do however have dried edible rose petals (thank goodness for amazon!) which I find if I chew one, it stops me feeling queasy I made rose biscuits once! It was.... interesting.... LOL not terrible, just odd!
 
Keep planning to make rose petal jelly for last 3-4 years but wanted to make easier jelly first, its only now I have got round to it!
 
Chad... a few for you!
 
http/www.rootsimple.com/2007/08/prickly-pear-jelly-recipe/
 
Looking up what fruits etc are found in Arizona... you have loads! And they are I assume the common ones! Because its not like rosehip, hawthorn or lavender jelly is something we would find on supermarket shelves and yet the plants are all over the place!
 
http/localfoods.about.com/od/searchbyregion/a/arizonaseasons.htm
 
Can see loads of lovely ideas in the list of fruits! I saw a nice recipe for Tangerine and Clove Jelly somewhere... looked so nice....

 

[DrRob]

Haven't touched the haw's yet. The sloes are waiting for a frost before going in a bottle with a sensible amount of gin.
 
We're still eating the crab apple jelly from last years harvest and the apples are waiting to go into a more liquid preserving method.
 
All without stepping out of the garden.

We're also going to have a good year for green tomato chutney, which isn't really a shame as I love it.

 

[fluttermoth]

As long as you don't squeeze the bag, your jelly should clear
 
All rose petals are edible, but most don't have much 'flavour' (I think it's more scent, tbh!). You need a really strongly scented, dark red one (I actually partly chose the Crimson Glory with an eye to making jelly!).

 

[DrRob]

Aye, crab apple jelly is very cloudy when you make it, but comes beautifully clear. I'm now looking forward to the cherry and mulberry trees kicking in.

 

[MBOU]

It did clear considerably as it boiled thank goodness!! And oh my god does it taste amazing!! If I do say so myself
 
It has also set perfectly so am chuffed at getting it spot on, even if I did flap a bit, not knowing what to expect... But it turned out well and has a slight hint of rose as near the end, I added a few spoons of rosewater essence and it really improved it, made it taste slightly more unusual and less like apple. Its now at the stage where everyone says 'yum' but cant name what fruit it is.... so perfect! Muwaha amazing how easy it can be to gross people out hah.
 
Got six nice sized jars out of it as well! Though two already have new homes, one or two we will keep and the others as part of a Christmas present... oooh my godmother would love it!! excellent...

 

[Chad]

One of the things I often eat with wonderful rolls or biscuits is Cactus Jelly. It's made from the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. The rest of the cactus is also edible (known as Nopalito) but the fruit is actually sweet. We do actually have an apple orchard back in the Superstition Mountains supposedly planted by John Chapman though really I think he never made it this far west. Nice story though and good apples. We have plenty of apricots, oranges, grapefruits, and the like as well. But these things were brought here. True desert plants will be the cactus and like you mention some of the flowers etc. But we aren't all that big on non-fruit jams here. Probably because no one really knows how to make them properly.

 

[MBOU]

Well there you go then!! You have plenty of opportunities to make jam or jelly then

 

[Chad]

Preserves, jams, jellies...what's the difference? Exactly...I think I basically know but really...why so many terms?

 

[MBOU]

Jams are full of the fruit, lumps and seeds and all, jellies are clear (ish ) and are jelly like with no 'bits' in necessary for fruits and berries like rosehips and hawthorn in which eating the seeds is dangerous.
 
Preserves I assume is a collective name for all preserved fruits and condiments including jams and jellies.
 
That's my interpretation without bothering to look it up anyway

 

[Chad]

Sounds about right to me.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

I've made jalapeno jelly, its my favorite.  Great on my wife's chicken flautas.

 

[Chad]

Pepper jelly sounds horrifying when you first mention it but it's not. I like chipotle/raspberry.