Strawberry jam - first attempt

I agree with 245sam here - the Chelsea Jam setting sugar is great for ripe strawberries and raspberries, avoids boiling them till they're flavourless. I got a set and fabulous strawberry jam in 4 minutes.

The taste is a little different than using just strawberries - there is a citrus undertone (I think the pectin is extraced from limes), but I like it a lot, better than berries boiled till they decide to set.

The cost can be an issue though, but price varies a lot between supermarkets. My local NW was over a dollar dearer than countdown or Moore Wilson, here in Wellington. At the cheaper range, there's not much difference between using the jam sugar or jam setting mix and ordinary sugar.

I'm with annie.nz the new Chelsea Jam setting sugar is brilliant. I've used it with strawberries (yum, yum, yum) plum (canned black doris - a real favourite) and tamarillo with vanilla bean - all exceptionally easy and successful. So easy and never fail!

Some fruit has very little pectin, and needs extra. Some has more than enough (e. g. , apples). To test for pectin, put 1 teaspoon of your strained fruit liquid (before adding the sugar) in a glass. Add 3 tsps methylated spirits and stir gently. If the mixture forms a solid, jelly-like clot, the fruit is high in pectin, and you can use 1 cup sugar to 1 cup of liquid. The jam will set quickly, and not require much boiling. If several smaller clots form, then use 3/4 cup sugar to 1 cup fruit and boil for longer. Ifthe pectin test doesn't produce any clots or gives a mass of tiny clots, then you need to add pectin, either as jam setting mix or as lemon juice - about 2 tablespoons fresh strained lemon juice to 1 kg fruit.
In my family we always make a pectin extract by boiling up the apple peelings and cores when we bottle apples, straining after 30 minutes and reducing the liquid til it is a good pink colour. We use this either in apple or mixed fruit jellies (blackberry and apple is nice) or to eke out expensive fruit in other jams. It has the bonus of being relatively delicate in flavour, so it doesn't overpower the other fruit.

just tried it! awesome!