AUTUMN JAM WITH DAMSON, APPLE & PEAR - Kitchen Garden Magazine

Here’s our recipe for a lovely seasonal jam that will brighten up your breakfast table as the months get colder and wetter.

Around now is the perfect time for picking damsons and September is the best month for apple and pear picking, so we thought there’s no time like the present to re-share our popular Damson, Apple & Pear Jam recipe.

This jam is delicious when paired with scones and clotted cream; rich buttery textured cheeses; goats cheese; and when spread in homemade cakes or on a slice of crusty bread.

Makes 4-5 x 500ml jars
Preparation time: 30 minutes | Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1kg/2lb Bramley apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

• 1kg/2lb pears, peeled, cored and roughly chopped

• 1kg/2lb plums, halved and stones removed

• A thumb piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

• 2kg/4½lb granulated sugar

• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method:

1. Place all the fruit and ginger in a large heavy-bottomed pan.

2. Pour in just enough water to cover the base. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes until the fruit is tender. Make sure to stir once in a while to stop it from sticking.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until completely dissolved.

4. Add the lemon juice and zest.

5. Now bring the mixture back to the boil and cook rapidly (rolling boil) for 15 minutes, then test to see if it’s reached setting point. To do this, turn down the heat and put one teaspoon of jam on a cold saucer in the fridge for five minutes. If it wrinkles and turns jelly-like, it’s set. If not, turn the heat back up for a further five minutes and repeat the process.

6. When the desired consistency has been reached, take off the heat and remove any scum that may have collected on the top.

7. Pour into cooled, sterilised jars, filling right to the top, then seal with waxed paper circles (wax-side down) and cellophane jam covers.

8. Store for 6-12 months.

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Steve Ott

Steve Ott is editor of Kitchen Garden magazine and started his career as a professional grower, producing everything from cut flowers to vegetables. He has been growing fruit and veg all his life and spends most of his spare time in his garden in the East Midlands. He loves to experiment with crops and varieties he has never grown before and when he isn’t gardening is to be found out in the countryside bird watching and walking his dog Ted.