Does Anyone Here Make Jam, I Am Thinking of Taking It Up
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Only 3 weeks to retirement and i am determined to take up new hobbies etc. Jam making sprung to mind..... can anyone advise?
Once you have the equipment is it relatively easy, what flavours do you favour, what are the must haves?
Shall also continue my history talks and take some adult education classes, but sadly so many seem to be online now and i prefer a physical class where you can meet like minded people.
No I’m trying to cut down on sugar so jam is a big no for me at this time good luck tho
SaveMeSunday oh I am not going to make for myself as I too mustn't eat too much sugar due to D2. But I thought it would be nice to make and give to family and maybe sell cheaply to neighbours and friends. I have thought of trying to make some wine too.
jam45 if we all thought everything that took time and effort was too much hassle, nothing would ever get done. I am wanting a retirement hobby and something that I can get pleasure from. Homemade jam is usually nicer and doesn't contain loads of preservatives and other nasties and it's a pleasure to give and receive a homemade gift.
I have made jam in the past and it’s fairly straightforward if you’re well prepared. You can’t really wing up as it needs to be boiled to a certain temperature so you’ll need a decent thermometer.
I’ve only made raspberry jam as we grow those at home. Although I have mixed in some blueberries too and that was nice.
snoogans888 sounds good. I already have a thermometer but will have to get all the other paraphernalia to go with it. However, I have a big birthday soon and my darling sons always ask what I would like so if I still feel it is something I would like to do I am sure they will help out.
Lynibis as long as you’ve got a large pan and some jars you don’t really need a lot of other equipment. You can even make small batches in the microwave.
snoogans888 I will need a maslan pan and a good funnel and I must admit I would like all the proper stuff. I have seen some darling kilner jars shaped like a strawberry and I can always ask for them back from family for their next lot!
I've never made any but I always remember my great gran making jam as a kid. She would get us out picking blackberry's for her and freeze whatever she couldn't use for a later date. She use to give it as a gift too.
Midnightflower Even though we are very urbanised round here I have seen people out blackberry picking in the past, maybe will see if I can find some this year. My sister has a very bountiful damson tree in her garden so I could try and visit when they are ripe.
Lynibis I'm pretty sure she foraged for most of her jams and chutneys, which is obviously great for money saving to. It could be well worth asking family and friends for extras from their gardens and allotments to use.
My mum used to make blackcurrant jam and marmalade when we were young. We’d 7 blackcurrant bushes in the garden and then when my sister grew strawberries she made strawberry jam as we’d more strawberries than we could eat. Love a homemade jam
My Mum used to cook everything from scratch many years ago and used to make jam with the blackberries that I would pick, it was amazing. Give it a go and keep us updated on your sucess 
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Yes, I've been making jam, chutney and pickles for 10 years, started out doing it to make little hampers for friends and family at xmas, but then demand got abit out of hand, lol so I started selling it £1.50 a jar, make about £200-400 a year from it for me Xmas spends, best selling jam flavours: strawberry, rhubarb and ginger, damson, gooseberry, blackberry, raspberry, blackcurrant. My Best advice would be get a good couple of old fashioned jam making books from a charity shop, my first and still most used preserve book is a reader's digest, follow the recipes carefully, if the recipe says lemon then use lemon or Ur jam will be runny, speaking from experience!!! I don't bother with the special jam sugars, I just use standard white granulated.Get a proper preserving pan and a jam thermometer is a must. If u have never done jam before then start out with half the amount the recipe says, untill u get the hang of it so u don't waste Ur fruit. If u do get a runny batch don't throw it away, stick it in the fridge, and use it up within 6 weeks as a sauce for icecreams. Good luck
slightfoot thank you so much for your helpful and informative reply. May I be rude and ask how you make a profit at £1.50 per jar after the cost of jars, sugar, fruit etc. I was thinking of charging a deposit for the jars which can come off cost of next purchase or be refunded should they not wish to buy more. That is way in the future though, I am not initially seeing it as a business.
Again thank you so much for your helpful advice.
Lynibis I grow or forage for 90% of the fruit and veg, profit per jar varies abit but I charge £1.50 a jar and roughly half is profit after all costs are taken into account except my time. The best place I have found for new jars in a online shop called love jars, the more u buy the cheaper per jar so I tend to buy once a year in bulk. I don't charge deposit for jars as some of my customers particularly at Xmas but them as gifts for others. But my day to day customers tend to return them anyway, happy jamming
slightfoot I do remember my cookery lessons that you must use the special jam sugar for a reason. I don't remember why.
jam45 it's because of the pectin in the fruit, put some fruits set easier than others, I find the recipes for fruits with low pectin are the ones that need the lemon juice
Great idea you should definitely give it a go. But if it's your very first time why not try making marmalade first? is a little easier and will give you a idea of what is to come
sallylester1 that is a great idea, thank you. I would also like to try chutney as well, all sorts of preserving would be fun to try. Used to make pickled onions every year when I was younger!
Lynibis Love a pickled onion. My husband does pickled eggs , but not my favourite they are a bit like marmite
Here is a recipe for jam from kilner website
www.kilnerjar.co.uk/recipe/strawberry-rose-water-jam?dm_i=6V8W%2CGL9O%2C1S0SM%2C22PME%2C1
I think you have chosen the best season to start jam making, there are loads of pick your own fruit places. Start smallish first, if you make pounds and pounds to begin and you are not happy with it you'll be a bit deflated. Aim for gifts not profit for your first adventure.
Auntielettie thank you for the advice. To be honest I will be happy to break even as ingredients will not be cheap. I will try to forage but I am in a very built up area, maybe it will encourage me to explore further afield. My family will definitely be guinea pigs!
We use to make plum jam and it was beautiful. Unfortunately our little plum tree stopped producing. We still can apple from our tree and also add some to our freezer for tarts, pies and crumbles.
You will love the process of making it but you’ll love the jams even more.
Please note when you pick blackberries don’t pick the very bottom ones. And not sure if you get wimberries near you but they make nice jam too. Keep an eye out for damson’s as they are delicious in a jam. You can get a lot of recipes online, check out you tube for videos. Local charity shops, facebook jam groups and libraries may be useful for you.
Have fun and don’t get disheartened by any that don’t set because they make the best crumbles etc.
Griffi68011 thanks so much for your input and advice, it has been really heartening how people have encouraged and advised. I will certainly take your advice about the blackberries, although never heard of wimberries. My sister has a damson tree but she is a three hour drive away so will have to try and visit when they are ready.
Lynibis I used to make chutney as we always had green beans, beetroot, damson - if they hadn't been made into damson gin, mixed fruit (never enough for jam). It was always well received at Christmas just in time to go with the cold turkey.
RichardDoolin I can highly recommend runner bean chutney. If you struggle to find an online recipe let me know and I’ll see if I can find my Gran’s recipe for you.
I have done in the past. It was easier then I thought. Give it ago. Just do small amounts it's easier then a massive load.
Lady Deals does strawberry jam every week! We can’t go back now, it’s so fresh in comparison
Definitely give it a go and let us all know how it goes. Wish I lived close to you, I’d call every week to test them out. Nothing better than homemade jams and chutneys
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