Cook’s Notes
Homemade This
Autumn by You
Hunt the hedgerows, pick your bounty of berries and with the help of our
experts you’ll have jam and gin you’ll be proud to put your name to
Jumbleberry Jam
OUR JAM
EXPERT
Tracey Collins
of Ajar Of makes
all her products
by hand in small
batches in her
(lovely smelling)
Dorset kitchen.
Make the most of the mellow fruitfulness on offer
at autumn by stripping the hedgerows of their
seasonal bounty and making some jam. We went
straight to Tracey Collins of award-winning Ajar
Of and begged for a recipe. Tracey is one of
Dorset’s finest preservists (and the competition
is fierce) who makes all her jams, chutneys and
marmalades by hand. She describes this fruity
number as “A deliciously dark-hued jam –
perfect for spreading on buttered, freshly
made bread!”
Ingredients
1kg mixed summer berries
(raspberries, blackberries, blackcurrants,
redcurrants, strawberries)
1kg granulated sugar
Juice of two large lemons
Takes 40 minutes, yields 3-4 half pound jars and
keeps up to a year.
Method
1. Wash jars in warm soapy water, rinse well and
put in oven at 140ºC for at least 20 minutes.
2. Mix the berries and sugar in a preserving pan,
then stir in the lemon juice. Jam needs acid – the
lemon juice – and sugar in sufficient quantities to
activate the natural pectin in the fruits. This helps
it achieve a set without adding additional pectin.
3. Warm the berries over a low heat, stirring
gently until the sugar dissolves
Colander Girls
Tracey has put together
a Dorset Food and Drink
charity calendar featuring
the county’s top female
producers. They each
gave away one of their
recipes in aid of Julia’s
House and Weldmar
Hospice. Pick one up
from any of the producers
featured at local markets
or go to www.dorsetaonb.
org.uk/food-and-drink for
more details.
60
4. Increase the heat and bring to a full rolling
boil. Cook for 5-8 mins until the jam reaches
setting point. I put a drop of jam on a cold
saucer, put back in a cold place, wait 2 minutes,
then take out and push the edges of the jam. If
the surface wrinkles, the jam is set. If not set, boil
the jam for a further 2 minutes and re-test.
5. Pot into the hot sterilised jars, seal and label.
S E E +
S H O P
See the range of jam and preserving
equipment at www.hartsofstur.com
Check out Ajar Of’s products at
www.ajar-of.co.uk
Visit the Two Thirsty Gardeners at
twothirstygardeners.co.uk