The Simple Joy of Making Jam

As the heat rises and the colours in the garden increase in their vibrancy, summer brings with it bountiful fruit, and with that, the simple joy of making jam. Whether it’s a jam or a jelly, or even a cheese, it is made from the most basic of ingredients. Some contain fruit and sugar alone, whilst others require water or lemon juice. But from 2-4 basic ingredients come beautiful jars of jewel-like deliciousness. Much of the fruit can be foraged for free such as blackberries, crab apples, and damsons.

I like eating jam, but I enjoy the art of making it more. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are allowed to enjoy the process of doing something as well as the end result. I think this is such an important thing, to enjoy the journey as much as the destination, yet one which is so often overlooked. For me, the journey to making jam started in childhood. Granny made jam, much I’m sure, like her mother and grandmother did. I helped her, and in time, I have enjoyed doing the same. For over 30 years, the arrival of summer has heralded jam-making season, where we will enjoy the marvellous alchemy of turning fruit and sugar into glorious jars, as vibrant in colour as the summer garden outside.

But if you haven’t been making jam for as long as I have, it can be a scary prospect. Will it set? Will I burn it? Is it worth it? In this page from my journal, I’d love to offer you a few tips and tricks I’ve picked up along way. This isn’t a ‘how to’ guide to making jam, because there are plenty of excellent books out there to show you how, some of which are listed at the end of this journal entry. I hope that in time, you too will embark on your own journey to make your own jam, one of the simple pleasures of summer. Perhaps your journal pages will begin to fill with your own tips and tricks to pass on to future generations.

Which jam is the easiest to make?

For me, the easiest jam to make is raspberry. You need only equal quantities of fruit and sugar, so it can be made in any quantity, even from the smallest of crops. You’re almost guaranteed a set, and you don’t need any fancy equipment to get started.

How can I get strawberry jam to set?

Strawberry jam is extremely temperamental, so at the outset, I’d like to say that if yours doesn’t set, don’t fear. It is is still edible, maybe a bit messy, but just as delicious. I have made plenty of batches over the years which haven’t set. So much depends on the fruit, and with that, the weather, and those are two things we have little control over. For me, the most reliable way to get strawberry jam to set is to add redcurrant juice. Redcurrants are full of pectin, but as well as their setting ability, they also bring out the flavour of the strawberries.

Why should I make my own jam?

When you can buy jam in the supermarket all year round, this is a valid question. Firstly, I like to control what goes into my jam. Like I said earlier, it should be made from the most basic of natural ingredients, yet look at any jar from the supermarket, and you will find long lists of additives, colourings, and ironically, preservatives. Nature’s bounty is good enough. I no longer wish to consume those.

Secondly, and more importantly, making jam offers us a connection to the past. Preserving marks an important point in the calendar, just as it did for our ancestors. You could argue that for those who came before us, preserving was an essential part of life, ensuring that the bountiful harvests of the summer and autumn could last for the lean times ahead, long before the days of fridges and freezers. It’s also deeply satisfying; there is joy in making jam. In a turbulent world, we all need moments of joy.

Do you need a jam thermometer?

You don’t need a jam thermometer; however, I do find it’s a useful guide. I don’t think you need a fancy electronic one though; I’ve tried those, and I didn’t find them especially accurate. I have a simple manual thermometer from Lakeland. But, a thermometer is only a guide. Putting a small amount of jam on a plate in the fridge to see if it sets is still the most reliable way, and the simplest. Alternatively, Granny used to say that when the bubbles “clapped” on the surface, it was ready. Listen carefully, it’s true.

Does it take a long time?

Making jam is, for me, one of the joys of summer. It’s satisfying and enjoyable, so I think it’s worth the time. That said, it’s often surprisingly quick. Raspberry jam in particular tends to set quickly. I made a batch this summer using 2kg of fruit, and it was made and poured into jars within half and hour. Some take longer, but it’s a small amount of time in a long season.

Do you have a favourite jam?

Yes, raspberry! I love, and make lots of others - strawberry, damson, gooseberry, blackcurrant - but raspberry, perhaps the simplest of all, is still my favourite. I also love bramble jelly made with the foraged blackberries and apples as summer gives way to autumn. Often, it’s the simplest which are the best.

Do I need to use preserving sugar?

I have never used jam or preserving sugar. My view is that if the raw ingredients - fruit and sugar - are good quality, nothing special is needed. Some fruits which are low in pectin benefit from added lemon juice or, as with strawberry jam above, redcurrant juice. Recipes will always guide you in this.

It’s ready to pour into jars, but there’s still some scum floating on the top. What do I do?

Ultimately, I don’t think you’ll ever get rid of every single speck of scum from your jam, but a tip I use, which comes originally from Delia Smith, is to add a small ‘fingernail’ of butter just before you pour it into jars to dissolve the remaining scum. It sounds unlikely, but it works! If you try and rid your batch of every last bit of scum, you will have no jam left!

Can you recommend me some books for jam-making?

These days, I only really use one book because it has almost every recipe in I need, including variations, and that is Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course. She also has a very useful introduction to jam-making, with plenty more tips and tricks. That’s probably all you need, but I do also use Thane Prince’s Jams & Chutneys. If you’re looking for some more adventurous flavour combinations, I can recommend Kylee Newton’s The Modern Preserver.

I hope that this might inspire you to make your own jam, or maybe persevere with your early efforts. Jam-making is one of the high points of the summer season, and whilst I could just buy jars ready-made from the supermarket, as ever, nothing beats homemade. There is joy in the process, and that’s worth it alone.

Stubborn as I am, I enjoy these anchor points of the year. They offer us a sense of continuity, of maintaining a tradition from the days when it was an essential life skill. It is a reminder that our lives can be so richly blessed by living within and alongside the changing seasons.