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Jammy bank holiday.

rohima

By rohima

17 comments


My next door neighbour’s apple and plum tree are heaving with fruit, most of it on the ground. On Saturday while she was mowing the lawn i asked her why she was letting them go to waste. “What can i do with them?” she replied. I suggested jam, chutney,crumbles and cakes but was informed she didn’t know how to do any of them. When she offered me some plums i happily accepted. I had used up all my jars last week end making green tomato chutney so on Sunday i went to Lakelands and bought a dozen 1lb jam jars. When i got home i collected the wind fall apples that had fallen inyo my garden, added them to the plums and made up 5 jars of jam. I took a jar of the jam round and gave it to my neighbour as a thank you. Yesterday i decided to use the glut of home grown cucumbers up by making cucumber and ginger jam. made 4 jars. I added a little chopped chilli to it and its turned out really nice. After cleaning up and leaving the kitchen the door bell rang. It was my neighbour with a bag of apples and another bag of plums. Have decided to make plum chutney today but need to go and buy more sugar. May need more jars too. Will have enough jam and chutney to last through the year and thats after giving out to daughters and friends. Not complaining thou.

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Comments

 

oh didnt you do well,you have been a busy bee..your larder is well stocked up and maybe you could put the recipe for cucumber jam on for us i would certainly like to try it..:o))

31 Aug, 2010

 

Here's the recipe for the cucumber jam, as requested by joanella.

2lb cucumber after peeling,seedy part removed and diced.
juice of two lemons.
2lb sugar.
4 fluid oz water.

simmer the cucumber in the water until soft.
Add the sugar and lemon juice,stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Boil rapidly until setting point has been reached, (220 f).
Pour into warm steralised jars while still hot.

You can add a little fresh / powdered ginger or chilli according to taste if you prefer a spicey jam.
I found this recipe in a book dated 1973 that i picked up from a second hand shop.

31 Aug, 2010

 

I do apolagise, i forgot to say that i added 1lb of wind fall apples to help the jam set although it is not in the main recipe.

31 Aug, 2010

 

Rohima nothing like 'freebies' from neighbours trees especially if they are going to waste, enjoy your jams and chutneys, well done.

31 Aug, 2010

 

i will try this when i collect my cucumbers from allotment,thank you Rohima..glad to see you go in second hand shops too lol :o))

31 Aug, 2010

 

Rohima, I wish you lived next door to me. You remind me of 'Ma' in 'The Darling buds of May' :-)) Perfec !!

31 Aug, 2010

 

Love doing stuff from 'freebies." Lovely bushes in the woods full of free pie - blackberries! Bushes full of C*******s cheer - sloes (musn't say the 'C' word!); a large basket of neighbour's pears/apples/plums/nectarines; green tomatoes for chutney ...... Oooh!

1 Sep, 2010

 

i must get into jams and chutneys ~ didnt used to like jam but had some blackcurrant and home made plum last week which were delicious so i have to have a try ~ do i need a preserving pan or is a big saucepan ok?

2 Nov, 2010

 

Hi Sticki, I make mine in my old prestige pressure cooker pan, don't use it as a pressure cooker now but its great for jams etc. !

2 Nov, 2010

 

aha ~ was getting rid of mine cos it doesnt work any more as a pressure cooker ~ will have to dig it out again ~ just for my jam!

2 Nov, 2010

 

Well done, it's perfect for that, have fun !

2 Nov, 2010

 

I inherited a large preserving pan and use it to make chutney's because of the vinegar content. I make the jams in an ordinary large saucepan. I have never cooked in a pressure cooker and wouldn't know how to use one.

2 Nov, 2010

 

pressure cooker is a bit scary cos they make so much noise. they are ok but the bit i dont like is that you cant see what is happening, they used to make some things an awful lot quicker but there are other ways of doing things now
to replace mine would cost a lot of money ~ i dont miss it
just remembered my mums best story concerning a pressure cooker ~ she was cooking beetroot ~ but the pressure cooker exploded ~ it was a very red kitchen ~ including the ceiling!!! i imagine it looked something like a crime scene!!

2 Nov, 2010

 

Sticki and Rohima, I only use the bottom half of the P. cooker, have chucked the lid away and just use the lovely heavy bottomed pan for jams etc.!!

3 Nov, 2010

 

thanks grandmage ~ i didnt want to use the lid. sometimes its good to have a heavy bottom!!!!! ;o)

3 Nov, 2010

 

Too right there Sticki, had one all me life !! Lol.

3 Nov, 2010

 

:o)

3 Nov, 2010

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