Sweet Eve Strawberry Jam

Just before I went on holiday, I spied some delicious looking strawberries in Waitrose, and was amused by their name:  Sweet Eve.  Even though I ought to have been getting the house ready for our departure, I found time to use the macerating technique.

It was a  sunny day, and the conservatory warm and sunny is the ideal spot, but windows and doors needed to remain closed as the wonderful smell would have attracted any late flying wasp in the vicinity.  Within a couple of hours, the juices were starting to flow out and dissolve the sugar.

After some packing, I returned to find the concoction ready for the stove.

Just a few small jars, and they had to wait till we got back for the labelling.  Last week I was focused on getting all the washing and ironing from the holiday done, and getting ready for my first time as Chairman of Kenilworth in Bloom, as it was our annual prize giving evening.

Finally the jars are labelled up.  I decided to call the preserve Eve's Strawberry Jam.  I found a detail of a very old recipe, where a few cloves were added to the boiling.  I haven't tasted it yet.  The recipe was from the times when spices and sugar were really only for the very well off....

As I labelled up the jars, my thoughts turned to a lady I used to work with called Eve.  We are no longer in touch, but I have fond memories of her.  She was the only lady in the Department who worked Part-time, and whilst we all worked long hours, she seemed to have the work life balance just right.  She had time to make jam, biscuits, and knit, and I still have some lovely hand made christmas decorations which she gave me.  I've had them for over 15 years now.

Reusing Jam Jars

I've just posted my views on today's news item that there are threats to the 'home made reuse jam jars ethic' on my main blog. 

This year the growing season has been dire in the UK, so I have not had the huge rush to try to preserve excess produce from the garden of friends or from my few fruit trees.  I've been buying top quality produce as I see it, and have now a full cupboard ready to distribute.

Since the Apricot & Orange Marmalade, I made the following, some in quite small quantities:

Raspberry Jam, Plum Jam, Nectarine Chutney, Fig Chutney, Beetroot Chutney, Strawberry Jam, Lime Marmalade, More Strawberry Jam, Fig and Orange Conserve, Sweet Eve Strawberry Jam with cloves, and Back to Basics Seville Marmalade. 

I've used Organic Seville Oranges from the freezer for this last one.  I got so excited when I found Organic Oranges for the first time, that I went a little overboard with my shopping! I compensated for the fact that they were frozen by juicing an additional lemon into the fruit before boiling up with the sugar.

I've just designed new labels for the Marmalade and when the jars have their labels on there will be a full preserve cupboard.

Apricot & Orange Marmalade

Once or twice a week, we have toast for breakfast, and on toast I almost always have only marmalade.  During the season I stash away some Seville Oranges in the freezer, as as I found Organic Seville Oranges this year, I went a bit mad, and saved more than normal, so I am trying out some different marmalades. 

I have a very good new knife sharpener, which has transformed my knives....they cut like scalpels with no squashing of the fruit.

After the gentle Grapefruit Marmalade, I thought I would try a recipe using a non citrus fruit as well.  The process for preparing the oranges and lemons was a new one for me, in that the fruits, minus the pips, are chopped down fine in a processor before cooking for about an hour, with the pips in a muslin bag.  After that the apricots are added and the whole lot cooked again, before the sugar is added. 

The preserve is soft and tangy at the same time, with the flavour of the sevilles and apricots coming through, the texture is smooth....lovely with croissants, brioche and some of my lovely milk loaf make for the weekend.

Pink Grapefruit Marmalade

I could not have imagined that just pink grapefruit, lemons and sugar could give such a gentle and succulent marmalade.  There is no bitterness well not to my taste buds, and the colour is beautiful.  Yes there is the classic Seville Marmalade, but this one is very special.  This one is competition standard to be sure!

Rhubarb and Ginger Jam

No pictures here, but the thought of some tangy quintessentially English preserve on fresh bread or on my home made Staffordshire oat cakes, is small compensation for the dismal weather we have been having.  I only made four jars as I was astounded at the price of rhubarb.  However, I bought some more today, and will make a second batch tomorrow, so there will be jars for whoever would like them.

Lime Marmalade revisited

If Mr M can wish for something we haven't got, then I can too, and with some tasty sour dough I felt that what would go best with this would be lime marmalade....and guess what, there was none left.  The very next day I bought a bag full, and with the juice of one lemon, made just a few jars.  This time, I scraped most of the white pith, before cutting the peel into shreds, and strained the juices off.  With less of the flesh in the preserve, it is more like a jelly: full of flavour, clear, but quite a bit less!  This morning I had my toast and lime marmalade, delicious!

Strawberry Jam by special request in February

We have quite a variety of jams in the larder, but not the one most desired at the moment by Mr M.  After buying and consuming a jar of some of the finest Waitrose had, I decided to get some strawberries when we were at Warwick market and make some more.  With the warmer weather we have been having, it quite something to be able to have tea, scones and strawberry jam in the garden.