Just over three weeks ago, I lamented having to compost a batch of jam. Thanks to exploding mercury. Since then, things have been busy. And up and down for me.
Despite everything, the kitchen is still my happy place, so when H said they were harvesting mulberries, I was delighted. This time, though, the delivery wasn't quite as big. I wasn't able to process them straight away, and put them in the fridge: I had a market to prepare for, and my stock of a range of things was low. And I had an order for 120 sourdough pita breads; then another for 40... The mulberries would have to wait.
More berries
Then, at the market on Saturday, C's sidekick had blueberries. I had a moment of inspiration:
What if I made a mixed berry jam with equal quantities of blue- and mulberries?
I wondered aloud. My market pal, Trish, overheard and gushed:
You must that will be a just divine combination.
So I did.
What I did
Jam is all about the ratio of sugar to fruit and the set. Berries don't have much pectin and because I prefer to use all natural ingredients, I had to find lemons. Fortunately new village arrival and friend, Doc M, came to the rescue: sufficient lemons and zest.
The Ratios
I so wish somebody had explained how ratios (and the value of X) applied in real life in my short-lived and disastrous mathematics career at school. Anyway, here I am using them.
For berries laden with fruit, like blue- and mulberries, it's 1:0.75 (or ¾ kilogram of sugar for each kilogram of fruit) and the juice and zest of one lemon for each half kilogram of fruit.
That is all.
No, there isn't any water which means it's important to put the sugar into the pot first, and then the fruit, so that the latter doesn't scorch. It also means that one has to take a slow, gentle approach to the heating the mixture so that it arrives at a controlled rolling boil rather than caramelised burned sugar and a boiling-over-pot.
Once it comes to the boil, it must reach setting point. This is when I popped my new thermometer into the pot and watched. I knew it was not broken working because I saw the line actually move - quite quickly at first - and then it just hovered.
This is when one has to be patient: the mixture must reach 105°C (220°F). I have learned to both "do" the test and watch the thermometer.
As an aside: The temparature sensitive liquid is a great, dark colour - unlike my old one - so it's easy to monitor. So, I guess there is a silver (ha!) lining to that exploding mercury...
As an aside: A friend who lives in Cape Town and weekends in McGregor smartly sourced my new thermometer and delivered it. I didn't pay in cash. No, she chose payment in product: koeksisters and chilli jam. What a deal! What a win!
The final product
To say I was happy with the final product is an understatement. I stupidly haven't got a picture of it other than in jars...
The final yield was eight saleable jars with a ninth for H and T who supplied the mulberries. To say I was thrilled with the flavour and the final "look" of the product, would be an understatement. It is divine!
The colour is a gloriously dark red, the set was perfect and I was thrilled with what the final product looked like in square jars and with black lids. And yes, it was a cold spring day. So I lit the fire....
So, for a while, I had a momentary lapse of reason grief. It was good. I like to believe The Husband would have approved.
And: as happened when I wrote about my first abortive attempt to make mulberry jam, my own words reminded me of song lyrics. Here's one from Pink Floyd's album, Momentary Lapse of Reason.
I guess, in a sense, I must learn to fly. Again.
Until next time
Fiona
The Sandbag House
McGregor, South Africa
Photo: Selma
Post script
If this post might seem familiar, it's because I'm doing two things:
- re-vamping old recipes. As I do this, I am adding them in a file format that you can download and print. If you download recipes, buy me a coffee. Or better yet, a glass of wine....?
- and "re-capturing" nearly two years' worth of posts.
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- Join Hive using this link and then join us in the Silver Bloggers' community.
Original artwork:
- lastly, graphics are created using partly my own photographs, images available freely available on
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