Comments on: Sour Cherry, Blueberry & Apricot/Orange Jams

By: Marketman

Marketman — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 02:06:35 +0000

Here are the delayed responses…was out of town…Mila, thanks for the tip on quince jam at Terry’s, I didn’t know that! Joey, next mango season, I am trying my hand at mango jam…and Mrs. Marketman loved mango jam in cookies…masa podrida I think they are called… Ronee and aridelros, I just have regular straight oatmeal with skim milk and eaten warm (eeew, like warm elmers glue) but I throw in dried chopped dates (1 tablespoon for sweetness). I am intrigued by Joey’s suggested with green apple. I also eat my oats in homemade granola (I have a recipe in my archives) and in cookies. But I feel that the porridge torture is necessary to get that real “I must suffer” feeling…heeheehee. Olive, no I haven’t tried the fiber you mentioned…sounds good though… in any case, its like passing a walis tingting through your intestinal tract, I suppose! Trin, homemade jam is definitely worth the effort. There is a brightness and freshness to the flavor that is difficult to get in large commercial batches. Absolutely, I recommend making it at home and yes pectin is useful and as Sister puts it, probably naturally sourced anyway. Some fruits have more natural pectin than others so you need to help the latter along with packaged pectin…it’s available at the better groceries here…though a bit pricey. lojet, guava paste and cheese…hmm, that sounds good! Mandy, a good raspberry jam is definitely in my top 5 jams of all time I think. Alexandra, yipes! I didn’t know oatmeal could elevate uric acid levels…that’s bad for me as I have had gout attacks in the past! Millet, I have never been to Imugan but those jams sounds great… Aridelros, jams around the world evolved because they were such a brilliant way to preserve the bounty of summer or peak fruit season for other periods such as winters that were bleaker…I love the concept of jarring your own food for consumption until the next season or crop comes in…

By: Candygirl

Candygirl — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:21:01 +0000

I’m so inggit…i love jam on buttered toast, eaten with a cup of tea :-)

By: sister

sister — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:56:10 +0000

Trin,
Bonne Maman isn’t very good. It is worth the time and effort to make homemade jam.You can easily control the quality by using the freshest fruit, some slightly under ripe to increase pectin content and enough sugar to cut down on cooking time and preserve the fruit flavours. Tart lemon juice balances the sugar. Small batches improve quality as well. Pectin is usually made from apples so I recommend using it as it improves jelling. One afternoon’s work will provide enough jam for a year’s worth of toast.Try making mango jam, I haven’t found a good store bought one yet and I’ve been known to fill my suitcases with bottles of jam from all over the world for reference. I’m looking forward to Marketman’s mangosteen jam.

By: millet

millet — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 13:42:02 +0000

my all-time favorite is sour cherry jam, and there’s this european brand (can’t remember the name at the moment) that comes in a jar with a pretty lid that is just tops! my next favorite is peach jam with big chunks of peaches. i’ve never had damson plum jam, though, so i don’t know how the stats would be affected if and shen the time comes. But MM, i make my oatmeal worth looking forward to because i put jam on my oatmeal instead of sugar. the past three mornings, i’ve been having oatmeal with mangosteen jam and slices of banana. last weekend, i saw in the supermarkets a few jars of jams from imugan, nueva vizcaya – wild berry selection, mountain blueberry..or something like that. they are quite pricey, but i have been to imugan many years ago. it is so beautiful and pristine, and the berries have grown wild there for ages, so I think it’s wonderful that the people there are doing something about this bounty, and am only too happy to support our small local producers, too.

By: Alexandra

Alexandra — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 11:22:08 +0000

Hi MM,
Just like you, I have to watch my sugar intake. Diabetes runs in my family…
I agree about putting jam in oatmeal- this is especially good if the jam has a lot of pulp or fruit chunks. But be careful about the oatmeal, too. My Mom was eating a bowl everyday for breakfast after hearing about its health benefits. But she eventually acquired a problem of elevated uric acid – apparently due to the oatmeal she was taking. I guess that too much of a good thing can always cause a problem!

By: Mandy

Mandy — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:58:24 +0000

congrats MM on your cholesterol and blood sugar test results! it pays to really watch those numbers. :)

my fave jam is quite unadventurous compared to your choices: raspberry jam. heehee.

By: lojet

lojet — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:16:24 +0000

Try layering Ritz crackers, a slice of the Puerto Rican style guava paste and a slice of cheddar cheese and serve as canapes, they’re delicious.

By: Trin

Trin — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:46:50 +0000

Hi Marketman,

I’ve some jammy questions… When is making homemade jam truly worth the effort? (vs. buying a good one, like the Bonne Maman ones for P100+? is freshly-made infinitely better?) And what do you think of recipes that call for pectin? Is that ingredient absolutely necessary?

I’ve made orange curd and an accidental banana-chili chutney, which were both excellent. I thought those were well worth the trouble because neither are available locally (I could be wrong!) For the same reason, I would like to try my hand at making the Puerto Rican/Mexican-type guava paste. It’s heaven sliced thinly and sandwiched in grilled flour tortillas with melty stringy cheese.

By: CecileJ

CecileJ — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 07:22:05 +0000

Yay! You deserve another foie gras meal for your discipline and perseverance!! :)

By: Sidekick

Sidekick — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 03:27:34 +0000

Congratulations MM! I know you work hard for that.