With our bounty of Kiwi Fruit we picked over the weekend, many people suggested making jam out of the excess. To tell the truth I have never attempted to made jam. Mum use to make jam, pickles, chutneys and preserve fruit. I have lovely memories of fruit bubbling away on the stove top, jars in the oven - cupboards packed with all her preserved produce. Ian's mother makes jam regularly and often we go home with a lovely jar of rich red raspberry jam or golden preserved peaches.
Thinking back, Mum use to keep us out of the kitchen when she was preserving or jam making because she thought it was too dangerous to have children around with hot jars and scolding pans of sugary fruit. Maybe this is why I have never made it myself - until today of course.
I use the jam recipe found in the "Edmonds Cookery Book".
1 kg kiwifruit, peeled and chopped 1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water 3 cups of sugar
Put kiwifruit, water and orange juice into a preserving pan. Boil until fruit is soft and pulpy. Add sugar. Stir until dissolved. Boil briskly for 30 minutes or until setting point is reached. Pour into sterilized jars.
Makes about 3 x 250 ml jars.
My critics (Charlie and Sadie are both jam connoisseurs) will give it the taste test at breakfast time with their morning toast.
Using the very same kitchen scales Mum use to use.
The final result - a bit darker than I expected - hope I didn't burn the sugar!
Making some handmade labels - one jar will be going to Grandma and another to Glen and Maureen who gave us the Kiwis. I still have a basket full of fruit, so if all goes well I will be making some more. xx
