Mint and Apple Jam

This mint and apple jam is tangy and savoury and oh so perfect with lamb dishes. It is also makes a terrific base for a salad dressing - stir in a little olive oil to loosen it a little and then stir it through a garden salad or just chopped up cucumbers for an unforgettably yummy salad.

Traditionally mint jelly and mint jam use granny smith apples, but in this version I substituted with some lovely tartish red apples.  It has added a beautiful reddish tint to the jelly, which makes it look quite festive in my opinion!

You can also change the type of mint - or even the type of herb used. Apple and rosemary or apple and thyme also make really nice condiments to serve with pork or lamb.

Ingredients

500g apples, cored and roughly chopped
375ml white vinegar
400g of sugar
4 - 6 tbs chopped mint.

Method

Cook apples in vinegar and sugar until soft. Use a potato masher to break down the soft pieces of apple. Bring to boil, and boil for 10 minutes until the mixture starts to jell.

Turn off the heat, add the chopped mint and stir through. The residual heat will cook this through.

Pour into sterilised jars.

Raspberry Jam - in the Microwave!

Yep. Jam. In the microwave. This is a sure-fire recipe to make berry jam. I've made blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry jam this way. I'm guessing you could probably do stone fruits this way as well but I haven't tried it. It is most useful for small batches where you don't want to go to all the trouble of stove-top jam. Make sure you use a container that is large for the amount of fruit - so the fruit comes no more than 1/3 of the way up the side - as the jam will boil vigourously.

Raspberry Jam

200g of raspberries
100g of sugar

(or any amount - just the same ratio ie twice the amount of fruit to sugat).

Put in a microwave safe container. Microwave on high for 5 mins. Give it a stir. Test for jell point and then microwave for 1 minute at a time until jell point is reached. Pour into a warm clean jar and cool.

I have to admit, I usually just microwave for 7 minutes and it usually works out fine without testing - but if you want to be absolutely positive it will work test it.

Jell point testing - put a dish in the freezer. To test for setting put a small dollop of the hot liquid on the plate. Leave in freezer for 40 seconds until it is cool and then push at it with your finger. If it leaves wrinkles on the surface of the jam, it is ready.

Peach Jam

The last of the peaches in the box I bought at the local farmers markets were getting very ripe - time to make jam! Making jam from stonefruit like cherries, peaches, and apricots, is quite easy to do. I never use pectin or jamsetting agents and the resulting jam is usually quite luscious. It isn't as "jelly"-like as that found in supermarkets, but it is thick and spreadable and - well - jammy! I quite like that soft gummy lusciousness of home-made real jam. Real jam also has no preservatives, additives, or artificial colours. It always beggars my belief that most jams produced in Australia have preservatives in them. Home-made jam can last for ages. I've had it sitting there unopened for a year without any problems at all. I've also bought imported French jams that contain no preservatives... anyway, I shall just shake my head and end my ranting!

Walnut sourdough with home made peach jam!

Peach Jam
1 part sugar
2 parts peaches (or you can substitute other stone fruit, or a mix of stone fruit, if you wish)
1/2 lemon per kilo of peaches

I realise that what I have given you is a ratio, rather than a recipe! A lot of other recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar, but I've always thought that leaves you with an overly sweet jam. As it is, I think the ratio with the overripe peaches is a tad too sweet - but that is just my taste!

Place sugar and sliced peaches into a pot. Heat slowly so the peaches release their juices and dissovle the sugar. Squeeze in the lemon. Heat on medium heat until gently bubbling. Cook for about 20 minutes and then start testing for the jell point (see below). Test every 5 minutes until jell point is reached. Then take off the heat. Pour into clean warm glass jars, top with lids, (you can also get plastic wrappers and elastic band jam sets in the supermarkets). I then wrap them with teatowels so they don't cool too rapidly & crack the glass. Once they are cool place them in fridge or cool dark pantry. Once opened, of course, refridgerate.

Jell point testing - put a dish in the freezer. To test for setting put a small dollop of the hot liquid on the plate. Leave in freezer for 40 seconds until it is cool and then push at it with your finger. If it leaves wrinkles on the surface of the jam, it is ready.