Sunday, January 26, 2014

Jam-uary

You may recall I lost my mind last week, and bought enough strawberries to single handedly end world hunger. The week before my crazy shopping expedition, the random thought of "Oh it would be nice to have a crack at making jam" had floated through my head, and when my local greengrocers flashed up a super special of 15 punnets of strawberries for $8.00 on Facebook I just took it as a sign that the universe was saying "Go Forth and Make Jam, Dudette"



I've spent the last week consulting the internet and my mother, Patty, and anyone else I thought might have jam making advice. I have a lot to live up to, my mothers strawberry jam is the best strawberry jam on the planet. Just ask Mr. P who manages to steal a jar out of her store cupboard every single time we visit. So basically if I screwed up the jam not only would I be wasting strawberries and sugar, I'd also be totally blowing the possibility that I'd inherited fabulous jam making genes for ever after. Oh the Pressure!

But this weekend I could delay no longer, as Mr. P was driving me nuts asking "Have you made the jam yet ?Have you made the jam yet ?" ( very reminiscent of kids on car trips constantly asking "are we there yet, are we there yet" and about as annoying) so I put my big gal panties on and dragged 2 kilos of strawberries out of the freezer. Then I called Patty one last time for moral support ,closed my eyes and made the recipe up out of my head based on the other 4536 recipes I'd read this week. 

I chucked 2 kilos of strawberries and 1.5 kilos of jam sugar in a pot with three vanilla bean pods and squeezed the juice from two lemons in there and stirred occasionally for what felt like hours but in reality was about 30 minutes. Then I did the cold plate test and voila! I had wrinkly stuff happening on the plate. That means its ready. And I only called my Mum once to get emergency jam advice during the process...


It's good stuff... totally jam-tastic.  


I ended up with about 2 litres of jam...and half of one jar is already gone. I promised to share with other people but now I'm not so sure....because this stuff really is the bomb. (it's OK Little P - your jar is already safe and sound and stashed) I'm doing the happy dance because it looks like I inherited the jam making genes after all. And that's another one of life's little adventures I can cross off my list.


Back to sewing! 




29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mmm yum!

the running hare said...

Obviously knocks making a gingerbread house into the long grass...

Jindi's Cottage said...

Well it looks pretty damn good…guess you can add "do eat jam" to your CV now…you'll be winning the jam section of Adelaide Agi Show next!...

Jennifer said...

The CWA ladies had better watch out......yummo, strawberry jam, I haven't made that but have made marmalade. Which was pretty good, if I do say so meself.

Cardygirl said...

Clever girl...looks yummy! 2014 is going to be YOUR year...amazing jam, incredible sewing and one hell of a gingerbread house....woohoo!

Anonymous said...

Wow that looks fantastic! We make jams and jellies all the time and I've never heard of putting whole vanilla bean in any jam. Sounds so delicious and I just wanted to reach through that screen and eat that toast right up! Congratulations! Great job!

Mistea said...

Homemade strawberry jam - tick!
What will she excel at next?
Looks delicious.Enjoy.

Unknown said...

yummy! I am not so afraid of making things like this but I am terrified of the canning process, which I really need to get over!

Unknown said...

yummy! I am not so afraid of making things like this but I am terrified of the canning process, which I really need to get over!

Three Birds Inspired said...

It looks delicious! Now I have a hankering for toast and jam...and I stopped eating bread 5 months ago!!

thea said...

Very nice! after reading your fb post I was a little worried for you. it looks divine!

Paulette said...

Oh yum! Congrats on the wonderful results! I have never made strawberry jam without Sure-Jell (the freezer jam recipe is really good, if you ever decide to give that a go), so you are an inspiration.

Diane-crewe said...

well done x now no matter HOW LONG it takes me to get to AUSTRALIA there will be JAM xx

Rachaeldaisy said...

That jam looks sooooo good!!! My brain has gone blank except for - mmmm jammmm

Terri said...

Looks delicious! Homemade is always better.
Hugs

Tamie said...

Yea for good genes. I don't have the good biscuit gene and here in the south, that isn't good!

Sue SA said...

Yeah for you! Hope you continue to make good jam and that you inherited the scone making gene as well!!! Big expectations when you get quilting visitors next time! Not to mention Mr P, wanting an ongoing supply! Think there is a strawberry farm at Woodside, where you can get fresh berries cheap. Mind you nothing beats $8!

Karen said...

Very impressive! It looks gorgeous :)

Helsie said...

Just another talent to add to your considerable list of talents. You're giving me an inferiority complex!!

Kirsten's Cooking said...

I bet your house smelled amazing!! We use the 'natural' stuff in a squeeze container. I abhor sticky hands!!!

Pokey said...

Never doubted you for a minute, Shay! You sure make me want to make some ~
:-}pokey

Marg said...

Yummmmmmm, you can save some for me please, next time I'm hanging out at your place.

Jackie's Stitches said...

It's been years since I made jam but Strawberry Jam was the first kind I ever made. We lived in a community where there were strawberry farmers. Picked in the morning and in jelly jars by the end of the day. I didn't add vanilla to mine but I love that idea!

audrey said...

YUM! Strawberry jam is the best. I'm only good at making it freezer jam style though.:)

Canadian Abroad said...

You are just a perfect domestic goddess!

Kristie said...

Totally jamtastic!! Good for you, glad to know the gene has been properly carried forward to the next generation. Now Miss P can bear the pressure of carrying it forward from here!

Katy Cameron said...

Oh I'm so glad you inherited the genes! I don't even want to try and find out if I inherited mum's orange marmalade genes, I hate the stuff lol

Razzle Dazzle Quilter said...

Well done you ! I adore strawberry jam - not the easiest to set but you nailed it. You would have to cook loads more before you could think of sharing, well you can tell your friends I said that and keep the lot.

Linda

Kate said...

Looks yummy!

Are there any cocktails using strawberry jam? Seems like a natural.