FoodBlog Kitchen: How to Make Jams, Jellies & Marmalades 🍒
Our favourite fruits aren’t always in season, but that’s no reason to miss out on enjoying them in spreadable form! Preservation techniques are great for making the most out of fresh fruits before it’s too late. Read on to learn about making jams, jellies and marmalades ➡
What’s the Difference?
Not all preserves are made equal - jams are spreads which include whole or pieces of fruit, whilst jellies contain just the fruit juice and sugar. Marmalade on the other hand is a preserve specific to citrus, made with the whole fruit including the rind and tends to be more chunky and tangy than jams. The most common jams are the berry kind: strawberry, raspberry and cherry - but they can be made of any fruit of your liking. Marmalades would traditionally consist of oranges, lemons or mandarins. 🍋
Making your own fruit preserves is super easy and fun; plus it’s a great way to save money on store-bought variations and a cute gift idea for friends and family. Jams and jellies can be made with whatever fruit you prefer (local for the win!), and you can experiment with flavours once you get the hang of it. 👩🍳
Recipe #1 - Strawberry Jam 🍓
- Wash a kilo of strawberries, cut off the stems, then toss with 750g of jam sugar and leave overnight.
- Place in a saucer with the juice of one lemon over low heat, and cook gently until all the sugar has dissolved.
- Raise the heat to high and get the mixture bubbling, and keep it there for 5-10 mins until it’s reached 105°C.
- Let it cool off then you’re good to go!
Recipe #2 - Prickly Pear Jelly 🌵
- Peel about 30 prickly pear fruits (bajtar tax-xewk) and blend them until liquefied.
- Pass the puree through a sieve and discard any pulp or seeds that don’t go through.
- Add your prickly pear juice together with the juice of two lemons and a packet of juice pectin (for thickening) to a large pot.
- Bring this to a boil, add 4 and a half cups of sugar and bring to a boil again; then let this cook for a few minutes.
- Pour into your jars and let cool.
Recipe #3 - Orange Marmalade 🍊
- Place a kilo of whole oranges and the juice of two lemons in a pan and cover with two litres of water.
- Bring these to a boil and then simmer for a few hours, whilst warming 2 kilos of sugar in a low oven.
- Remove the oranges from the water, allow them to cool and scoop out the pips and pith and add these back to the liquid.
- Bring to a boil and strain, pressing the pulp through with a spoon.
- Shred the orange peel and add to the liquid with the warm sugar, stirring over low heat until the sugar has dissolved then bringing to a boil and a rapid simmer until set.
- Leave the marmalade to cool and place into your jars.
Got any fruit preserving tips? Share them with us in the comments!🔝
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