Hands on Traditional skills and where to learn them

Making jam and chutney

How do you make jam?Jam-making has come back into fashion in tandem with the Grow It Yourself movement and the revival of interest in foraging for food.

Although there’s a relatively straightforward procedure to follow, you can end up with a syrup or a sauce rather than jam if you’re not careful at each stage.

Firstly, you must choose fruit that is firm and ripe but not overly ripe. Overly ripe or damp fruit may stop the jam setting or make it go mouldy or ferment.

Generally speaking, jam is made with a kilo of fruit to a kilo of sugar, but when the fruit has a high pectin content – as blackcurrants do, for example – the jam will require less fruit. (Pectin is the natural setting agent in ripe fruit.)

To start, you put the fruit in a large saucepan and simmer it very gently to extract the pectin and soften the skin or peel. Never add sugar until the skin or peels are tender and the stones have fallen out of fruits such as damsons, as fruit will tend to toughen rather than soften once you add the sugar.

Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then increase the heat so the jam boils rapidly. Do not stir the jam as it boils, as this lowers the temperature and prevents it from reaching setting point quickly.

Start testing the jam early to see if it has reached setting point, as overboiling will produce a jam that is too stiff or one that will never set. To test jam for setting, put a teaspoon of jam on a cold saucer and leave it to cool. If it wrinkles and feels firm, the jam is adequately set. If it’s runny, leave it to boil for a little longer before testing again.

Pour the hot jam into sterilised jars and cover immediately with circles of waxed paper. Leave it to cool slightly before sealing. Store in a cool, dry and preferably dark place.

How do you make chutney?Chutneys are a savoury way of using up autumn fruits. The principle ingredient can be apples, beetroot or something more exotic, like mangos (although these are still pretty pricey for home-made chutney). A typical apple chutney will contain about a kilo of apples to 500g of brown sugar, 500ml of water and 750ml of vinegar. You can add onions, raisins, cloves, ginger and other spices and seasonings.

To start, peel, core and chop the apples and put them in a large saucepan with the water. Add chopped onions, raisins, ginger, cloves and sugar and simmer until soft. Add seasoning and vinegar and simmer slowly, uncovered, until thick. Stir frequently to prevent the mixture from burning. Pour into warmed jars and cover at once.

Where do I sign up?You don't really need to sign up to a course to make your own jam or chutney. Just follow these recipes carefully – and enjoy. That said, cookery schools throughout the country offer one-day or evening classes in jam- and chutneymaking. So check out your local food directories for details.