Jam Jar Sterilisation

Method 1 :

Heat the oven to 180°C- don't be tempted to heat the oven any higher or you may risk the glass breaking. Lay a double layer of newspaper on each oven shelf but not the floor of the oven. Arrange the jars on the shelf making sure the jars are not touching each other. Close the oven door and sterilize the jars for about 20 minutes. Using thick oven mitts, remove each jar from the oven as needed onto a heatproof mat or heat pad, making sure you fill while the jam or preserve is hot as is the jar. Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars.

Method 2 :

 Fill your dishwasher with clean cold jars and run a minimum or rinse wash to time the ending with when your jam, preserve or pickle will be ready. Use the jars one at a time from the dishwasher needed making sure you fill while the jam or preserve is hot as is the jar. Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars.

Method 3:

 In the Microwave

Clean the jars as normal, rinse but leave the jars a little wet. Microwave for no more than one minute.

Do's and Dont's 

1. Do NOT add cold food to hot jars, or hot food to cold jars.
2. Remove jars from the oven or dishwasher only when needed or they will cool down too much.
3. Always sterilize more jars than you think you will need. Should you have more mixture than anticipated it is too late to start sterilizing once the food is ready.

No Cook Jam or Freezer Jam

Freezer jam is not shelf-stable, so for long-term storage, it must go in the freezer.The only effective way to make this jam is to use store bought pectin like a JAMSETTA.

Once these jams have set, they should keep for two weeks in the refrigerator or one year in the freezer.

Sterilized containers are not required for no-cook jams, they simply need to be washed in hot soapy water and rinsed before use. Plastic freezer containers, or glass jars with tight-fitting lids that are no larger than 2 cups can be used.

Uncooked freezer jam is a little different than its cooked counterpart. It doesn't have that thick, cooked-down texture and flavor. Instead, it looks and tastes like the ripe fruit.

Pick up whatever is ripe and looks good to you:strawberries, peaches, mango, cherries, blueberries.

If you want to start out with smaller batches, go ahead and halve the amounts. If you use a different pectin than the ones I used, be sure to check the label before you start jamming—some of them require more sugar to set properly.

Raspberry Jam
 
Ingredients 

• 8 cups raspberries
• 2 tablespoons kirschwasser
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• Pectin (See below).

 
 Method

 1.  Crush 8 cups, or 2 pounds, of fresh raspberries and 2 tablespoons kirschwasser. You should have about 4 cups crushed berries. 

2. Combine 2 cups granulated sugar and a 45g of instant fruit pectin and stir into the fruit for three minutes. Transfer the jam into small jars or containers and allow it to set in the fridge for 24 hours. 

3.  Transfer to correct container and keep for the recomended time 

 

 

Raspberry Jam slice

Raspberry Jam slice

This recipie can be modified to utilise any jam that you have available in your pantry and the kids love it.

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 125g butter, chilled, cubed
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3/4 cup raspberry jamor any jam of your choice.
• 2 cups desiccated coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 3cm deep, 24cm x 29.5cm (base) lamington pan.
2. Process flour, 1/2 cup sugar and butter to resemble breadcrumbs. Add 1 egg and vanilla. Process to form a dough.
3. Press dough into base of prepared pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden. Spread jam over warm base.
4. Whisk remaining eggs and remaining 1/2 cup sugar together. Stir in coconut. Spread over jam. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely in pan. Cut into pieces. Serve
   
   

Jam Drops

  Jam drops 

Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups of self raising flour
Pinch salt
Favourite jam

1. Beat butter abd sugar to a cream
2. Add lightly beaten egg and vanilla and beat together well.
3. Sift flour and salt together.
4. Add to creamed mixture and mix well.
5. Take teaspoonfulls of mixture ad roll into balls.
6. Place on greased trays -allow room for spreasing.
7. make a hollow in each ball with the end of the wooden spoon or your finger.
8. Place a little jam in each hollow.
9. Bake in a moderate oven for 10 - 15 min
10. Allow to cool on tray

Makes 30ish.

Alternatively instead of placing jam on the top of  the dough add a freckle or a choc whirl or even a carob whirl.  Adds a different dimension to awesome ;) 

PUMPKIN SCONES

One of the best things I make is PUMPKIN SCONES.  So easy and once again a recipie from high school.  As with the scones I have not had an epic fail yet.

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup cooked and mashed pumkin
1 egg
2.5 cups of self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup milk.

1. Beat butter and sugar to a cream.
2. Add mashed pumpkin and mix well.
3. Add egg and beat well.
4. Sift flour, ginger, salt, cinamon and nutmeg together.
5. Fold dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternatively with the milk to make a moist dough.
6. Turn onto a floured surface and kneed slightly.
7. Press out to a 2.5 cm thickness.
8. Cut out with cutter or a glass if u do not have a cutter.
9.  Place onto a slightly greased tray starting and the centre and working outwards.  Make sure your scones are just touching each other.
10. Brush with a little milk.'Bake in a hot oven for 10 - 12 min or until golden brown.
11. Enjoy with a bit of jam or a dolup of sour cream.

Makes 12.

Scones

The best way to have jam is on the failthful old scone.  Many have made scones and not succeeded.  I have used a recipe from school for many years now and have not had a failure yet.  Have made these camping and cooked them in the camp oven - what a treat.  Please enjoy.

Basic Scone dough

2 cups self raising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons butter
200 ml milk

1. Sift flour and salt into a bowl
2. Rub butter in with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Make a well in the centre
4. Gradually add the milk and mix with a knife to form a moist dough.
5. Turn out onto a floured board a
6. Press out to about 2.5 cm thickness.
7. Cut out circles with a cutter or a wine glass.
8. Place finished scone into the centre of the tray and work outwards with each scone making sure scones tough each other.
9. Glaze with a zizzle of milk
10. Bale in a hot oven for 10 - 12 min.  Or place them into the camp oven for a treat when camping.
11. When cooked tap scone on the base, like bread it will sound hollow.  Then you know they are aready.
12. Serve immediately with you favourite jam or golden syrup and a dollup of cream.
13. Cover the remainders in a tea towel and devour when cold.

 Makes approx 12

GUILT FREE FRUIT CAKE

Ingredients
2 3/4 cups mixed dried fruit
1 C apricot nectar (if I have none I use a good orange juice)
1 tsp honey (optional as the fruit and nectar is very sweet.
1 cup mashed pumkin
1 1/2 cups self raising flour ( I have used fine alomnd meal with great results - Paleo friendly this way.)
1tsp mixed spice
1 tap bi carb soda.
I always add a handfull of nuts (ie almonds, walnuts or pecans) and apricot nectar in a saucepan.

Preheat oven to 180 . b Line and grease a 20cm square or round cake pan.  Be sure to put greaseproof paper on the bottonm to ensure the gorjus sticky mixture does not attach itself to the bottom while cooking.

1. Combine the mixed fruit.   Bring to the boil.  Cook for 3 min on simmer.  Transfer to a lg bowl and set aside to cool a tad.
2. Add pumpkin, flour, spice and bi carand (nuts)  to the fruit mixture. fold through ingredients without over working the mixture.
3. Spoon into a pan and smooth surface.
4. Bake for 50 min until a skewer inserted into cake comes out clean.  

Transfer to a rack to allow to cool completely.

Cake always lasts well if it is not devoured in a day like at our house.

Enjoy.

Maple syrup - homemade

Homemade Maple Syrup
Makes approx. 1 1/2 cups

1 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. maple extract or Imitation Flavoring

1. Bring the water and sugars to a slow boil in a saucepan over low heat, stirring continuously. Take it off the heat before it comes to a rolling boil. Stir in maple extract and let cool. Transfer to a container and store in the fridge.

Sago Pudding

Being on  a Primal Diet we are limited by our food choices, particulary for sweets as one of us can not have any dairy.  I have found that Sago is fine and makes a suitable dessert that can be adapted well to the diet. On this occassion we have used home made berry jam to add sweetness to the dish.

 Its filling and the sweetness of the desert comes from the fresh fruits. If you wish you can substitute coconut milk for whole milk.

Ingredients
3/4 cup Sago or Tapioca
2 cups Coconut milk
1 Cup Water
1 Tablespoon sugar (optional)

Method

1. Soak Sago in cocnut milk and water for approx one hour.
2. After 1 hour heat the sago and coconut and water mixture in a saucepan bringing it to the boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer stirring continuously for 10 - 15 minutes or until the sago becomes translucent.  Remover from heat and place into a bowl.  
4. Add your favourite topping be it jam, fresh fruit or a syrup of your choice.
5. Refrigerate until slightly cooled and serve.
6. Refridgerate remainder sage for a refreshing snack.

This recipie can be easily converted to use in a Thermo Mix.

Serves 4 easily.

Magic Ice-cream topping

So easy as I found out accidently

1 1/4 cups of choc chips
1/2 cup coconut oil

Add ingredients together and mix and melt in a double boilder until smooth and all melted.  Pour into a bottle with openable lid.  Store in fridge.  When required open lid and place into microwave for 30 sec keep heating in 15 sec intervals if not melted on first attempt.    Pour over icecream.  Enjoy.