More jam!

So I am a copycat. Or else, Martine just inspires me. :-)

Here is my attempt as blackberry and apple jam. It is still hot. We are waiting to see if it sets, but I am optimistic, because the stuff that I spilled in the pan set, and was quite tastey!

Ignore the big one that is half full. It started out as a completely full jar, for which I lost the lid, so it had to get transferred at the last minute. It will just be the first one we eat. Also, ignore the bits dripping down the side of the jars. It was after my unsuccessful ladelling attempts that I read it is a good idea to use a jug. So now I need a jam pot and a jug. :-) I know full well, I don't need either of those things, I am just having fun. Besides there is no room in my house for anything new...

Today I have been making Jam!

I have been wanting to try making jams for years. The biggest problem has been getting enough fruit. We make a lot of Blackberry and Apple crumble, but we don't get enough blackberries to do much of anything else. I think I will try to change that soon. Because today I made my first batch of jam ever - plum jam. The plums came from the community allotment.

It looks very pretty and clear. More so than in the photo. (The apples are from the community allotment as well!) But I don't know if the half jar will be ok, and there does seem to be some white stuff on the top of one jar, which I have read about in recipes. hmmmmm

I am slightly worried that I boiled it for too long, and it is actually going to set into very large plum flavoured boiled sweets, but we shall see. It was fun anyway, and I am ready to try again! And licking out the pan was tasty!

It's all about perception...

So I woke up this morning, and came down to use the computer while the other 6 people in the house were all still asleep, and there's an apple core on the desk, and one of the shelf. They are yucky and brown and should be in the compost. So my first reaction of the day, and it is anger. And then I thought, "Yay! the kids are eating fruit!"