SERVE
10 (2 Tablespoons Each)
kcal/kJ per serving
112/537
PREP TIME
5 min
COOK TIME
25 min
TOTAL TIME
30 min
Difficulty: Beginner
Why is Sugar added to Jam?
So easy to make. All you need are berries in the freezer and sugar in the pantry.
Have you ever wondered why sugar is added to jam? – While it is true that sugar contributes to the sweetness of the jam, it does much more than that. The sugar draws water out of the fruit and holds onto it. This makes the water unavailable for bacteria to grow and in this way, it acts as a preservative against spoilage. You will notice that sugar containing jam has a higher shelf life than the sugar free jams and this is because of the preservative properties of the sugar. Another great function of making water unavailable in jam-making is that it allows the jam to set. The secret to creating the perfect jam is using the correct amount of sugar. Use too little and the jam is runny, use too much and the jam gets too hard.
Ingredients
450g Frozen Berries
450g sugar
2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice from a Bright Yellow Lemon
Method
- Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan, and let stand until the fruit defrosts, then add to it together to make sure the berries and sugar are well incorporated.
- Heat the mixture slowly stirring every so often to dissolve the sugar, then bring the mixture to a rolling boil, turn down the heat and test a little of the jam on a chilled saucer.
Tip
*Sterilize the jars
Heat jam jars in a low oven to sterilize at 100°C
*Wrinkle Test
- Place a saucer in the freezer before you start making the jam so it’s ready to do the wrinkle test.
- Place a little jam on the chilled saucer, allow it to cool. then push your finger through the jam and let it wrinkle up, then it’s ready, if it is still watery then cook it a little longer.