conserve

Seize the short Seville orange season with homemade marmalade. Follow our simple step-by-step instructions to make this brilliant breakfast offering

How to make marmalade

1kg Seville oranges,

lemon

sugar

Squeeze the oranges and keep their juice. Scrape out the pith and pips with a metal spoon, again keeping everything. Juice the lemon, too, then put the lemon shells, orange pith and seeds into a square of muslin about 30 x 30cm, and tie it with string. Leave the string long &ndash; that way you can tie it to your wooden spoon, which will make it easier to lift out later.

Cut each orange shell into 3 petals, then finely shred with a large, sharp knife. Put the peel into a preserving pan, tip in the juices, then sit the bag in the juice. Pour in 2.4 litres/4 pints cold water and leave to steep overnight.

Next day, leaving the bag in the pan, bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer for about 1 hr, or until the peel is soft and translucent and the liquid has reduced by one third. Turn off the heat and lift the muslin bag into a large bowl. Leave the bag until it&rsquo;s cool enough to handle.

While you wait, get your jars ready. Wash 8 x 450g/1lb jars (or the equivalent volume larger or smaller jars) in hot, soapy water, then leave in a low oven to dry completely. Keep them warm. Alternatively, if you&rsquo;ve got a dishwasher you can run the jars and lids though a hot cycle, then let them dry. Put a saucer in the freezer at this point, too.

Now for the messy bit &ndash; I like to don a pair of rubber gloves at this point. Hold the bag over its bowl, and squeeze and pummel it until you&rsquo;ve extracted every last drop of juice and gunge through the muslin. This stuff contains the pectin &ndash; the crucial ingredient to the perfect set. You can now throw away what&rsquo;s left in the bag and wash the muslin, ready to re-use.

Stir the contents of the bowl, plus all the sugar, into the pan. Stir every so often over a very gentle heat until the sugar has completely dissolved. Don&rsquo;t boil before all the sugar has melted.

Slowly bring the pan to the boil. After 10 mins boiling, spoon a small blob of marmalade onto the cold saucer. Leave for a few secs, then push the marmalade with your finger. If it wrinkles, it&rsquo;s ready. If not, boil for 10 mins more then try again. Even if you have a sugar thermometer (look for 105C or where it says &lsquo;jam&rsquo;), I&rsquo;d still recommend the saucer test. If yours seems to be taking a while don&rsquo;t worry, it can take anything from 10 mins to 45 mins for marmalade to reach setting point, depending on your oranges. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface in the meantime.

Once you&rsquo;ve reached setting point, ladle the marmalade into the warm jars and seal. A funnel is really handy if you have one. The marmalade will keep for up to 1 year in a cool, dark place, and for up to a month in the fridge once opened.

James Martin's step-by-step guide to making homemade preserve - the resulting jars are ideal for gift hampers

Strawberry jam

strawberry

jam sugar

knob of butter(optional)

Prepare the strawberries by wiping them with a piece of damp kitchen paper. (Wiping the strawberries rather than washing them ensures the fruit doesn&rsquo;t absorb lots of water &ndash; too much water and the jam won&rsquo;t set easily.) To hull the fruit, use a knife to cut a cone shape into the strawberry and remove the stem. Cut any large berries in half.

Put the strawberries in a bowl and gently toss through the sugar. Leave uncovered at room temperature for 12 hrs or overnight. This process helps the sugar to dissolve, ensures the fruit doesn&rsquo;t disintegrate too much and helps to keep its vibrant colour.

Before starting the jam, put 2 saucers in the freezer. Tip the strawberry mixture into a preserving pan with the lemon juice. Set over a low heat and cook very gently. If any sugar remains on the sides of the pan, dip a pastry brush in hot water and brush the sugar away.

When you can no longer feel any grains of sugar remaining, turn up the heat to start bubbling the jam and bringing it to the boil. (The sugar must be completely dissolved before increasing the heat, otherwise it will be difficult for the jam to set, and it may contain crystallised lumps of sugar.)

Boil hard for 5-10 mins until the jam has reached 105C on a preserving or digital thermometer, then turn off the heat. If you don&rsquo;t have a thermometer, spoon a little jam onto one of the cold saucers. Leave for 30 secs, then push with your finger; if the jam wrinkles and doesn&rsquo;t flood to fill the gap, it is ready. If not, turn the heat back on and boil for 2 mins more, then turn off the heat and do the wrinkle test again. Repeat until ready.

Use a spoon to skim any scum that has risen to the surface and discard this. Do this only once at the end, rather than constantly during the boiling stage, to reduce wastage.

Add a knob of butter, if you like, to the finished jam, and stir in to melt. This will help to dissolve any remaining scum that you haven&rsquo;t managed to spoon off the top. Leave the jam to settle for 15 mins &ndash; this will ensure that the fruit stays suspended in the mixture and doesn&rsquo;t all float to the top of the jam jar. Meanwhile, sterilise your jars.

Ladle into warm jars, filling to just below the rim. Place a wax disc on top of the jam (this prevents mildew forming), then cover with a lid or a cellophane circle and elastic band. Pop on a label (include the date), plus a pretty fabric top, if you like. The jam can be stored for up to 1 year in a cool, dry place. Refrigerate after opening.

This has a kick, but won’t blow your head off, and goes well with any selection of cold cuts of meat

Sweet chilli jam

red peppers, deseeded and roughly chopped

red chillies, roughly chopped

fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

garlic cloves,

cherry tomatoes

golden caster sugar

milliliters red wine vinegar

Tip the peppers, chillies (with seeds), ginger and garlic into a food processor, then whizz until very finely chopped. Scrape into a heavy-bottomed pan with the tomatoes, sugar and vinegar, then bring everything to the boil. Skim off any scum that comes to the surface, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook for about 50 mins, stirring occasionally.

Once the jam is becoming sticky, continue cooking for 10-15 mins more, stirring frequently so that it doesn’t catch and burn. It should now look like thick, bubbling lava. Cool slightly, transfer to sterilised jars, then leave to cool completely. Keeps for 3 months in a cool, dark cupboard – refrigerate once opened.

A thick dark rich fruity smooth plum jam with excellent keeping qualities

Italian Plum Jam

plums

kg sugar

Prepare

Wash and halve 1750g (3lb 14oz)  plums and remove and discard the stones.

Cook

Place the plums in a preserving pan or large saucepan with 1kg (2lb 4oz) granulated sugar. Heat gently stirring until the juices run and the sugar has dissolved.

Continue cooking

Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, until the jam is thick and dark, stirring occasionally to prevent it from burning on the base of the pan.

Puree

Remove from the heat and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Purée in small batches before pouring into sterilised jars Seal, allow to cool and label.

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/wabgiel8j0wkgjehiwag

Step by step recipe to make Italian Plum Jam. An easy to make slow-cooked jam. Delicious spread on bread or use as a cake filling or in jammy bakes.

Home-made blueberry jam is sensational with how buttered toast.

Blueberry jam

(2 1/2 cups) caster sugar

blueberries

lemon juice

milliliters (2 tsp) white wine vinegar

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5751726065001&=domain=taste

5348771529001-5751726065001

Experience the satisfaction of spreading a slice of toast with your very own home-made jam!

Basic jam

1kg valencia oranges

Liven up winter with the sunny taste of lime in this lick-your-lips marmalade, spread on hot buttered toast.

Lime marmalade

1kg (about 11) limes

2L (8 cups) cold water

https://resources.newscdn.com.au/cs/video/vjs/stable/build/index.html?id=5348771529001-5580111799001&=domain=taste

5348771529001-5580111799001

Microwave strawberry & lime jam

(3 punnets) medium strawberries, hulled, halved

milliliters (1/3 cup) fresh lime juice

(2 cups) white sugar

Enjoy these simple butter biscuits with a dollop of sweet jam in the centre.

Raspberry jam drops

butter, softened

caster sugar

tsp vanilla extract

egg,

plain flour

tsp baking powder

tbsp milk

raspberry jam

Cranberry Conserve: a perfect winter jam recipe with cranberries, spices, apricots, and nuts

Winter Spiced Cranberry Conserve Recipe

orange juice

water

cardamom

cinnamon

Granny Smith

apricots,

walnuts, diced

tsp ground ginger

TB brandy

Prepare canner, jars and lids. See The Ball...

Prepare canner, jars and lids. See The Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving for guidance

Place a saucer in your freezer

In a large preserving pot or deep, stainless...

In a large preserving pot or deep, stainless steel saucepan combine cranberries, orange juice, water, cardamom pods, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and then simmer at the lowest temperature, covered, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients or about 10 minutes.

Chop apples, nuts, and apricots into small dice

Add sugar, return to a boil over medium-high...

Add sugar, return to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until mixture thickens...about 10-15 minutes.

Add diced apples, nuts and apricots to conserve...

Add diced apples, nuts and apricots to conserve and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 more minutes 

Remove from heat and gel test by placing...

Remove from heat and gel test by placing a small amount of the jam on the plate. Put the plate back in the freezer for 1 minute. If when you push it with your finger it wrinkles a bit it is done.

If gel state has been reached, remove cardamom...

If gel state has been reached, remove cardamom pods and cinnamon and skim off any foam. Stir in brandy and ground ginger.

Spoon your jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4...

Spoon your jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.

Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim with...

Remove air bubbles and wipe the rim with white vinegar.

Center lid on the jar

Screw band down until resistance is met, then...

Screw band down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip tight.

Place jars in canner, making sure they are...

Place jars in canner, making sure they are completely covered with water by at least one inch.

Cover pot and bring to a boil

Boil for 15 minutes

Turn heat off, remove the lid and let...

Turn heat off, remove the lid and let sit for 5 minutes

Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter and...

Carefully remove jars with a jar lifter and place them on a rack where they can be undisturbed for 24 hours.

Refrigerate any jars if their lids don't pop...

Refrigerate any jars if their lids don't pop down.

Easy Grape Jam is a classic American preserve, great on it's own but even better paired with peanut butter for that all American taste sensation!

Easy Grape Jam - just 3 ingredients and no pectin!

grapes

granulated sugar

Place grapes, sugar and lemon juice into a preserving pan or similar.

Using a gentle heat dissolve the sugar slowly, stirring frequently.

As the mixture heats up break up some of the grapes with your wooden spoon or use a potato masher in order the release the grapes’ juices.

Once all the sugar has dissolved fully (around 20 minutes) take the mixture off the heat and use a stick blender to blend the grapes to a juice like consistency.

Put pan back on the heat, bring to a rolling boil and then time for 25 minutes, stirring continuously. (You could start with 23 minutes as depending on freshness and variety of grapes the setting time can vary a little).

Take the pan off the heat and test for set by placing a few drops of the jam on a chilled saucer and place in fridge for a minute.

The jam should form a crinkle when you push your finger through it.

If not then boil for another 2 minutes and re-test until set is achieved.

Pot up in hot jars and place lids on immediately.

Store in a cool dry place and once opened keep in fridge.

https://mediavine-res.cloudinary.com/video/upload/t_original/v1538150970/ut197l1mtuxhvnmgewsm.mp4

Easy Grape Jam

Come fare l' olio al prezzemolo.O maionese al prezzemolo.Siamo già in autunno, ma qui in Sicilia il prezzemolo ancora regge.Allora come fare per conservarlo a parte il classico metodo del freezer?...

Come fare l' olio al prezzemolo

200 g olio extravergine d'oliva

50 g prezzemolo (pesate solo le foglie)

Come fare l&#8217; olio al prezzemolo

1 ora prima mettete il boccale del bimby o del frullatore in frigo cosi raffreddandosi non scurirà l'olio.

Lavate il prezzemolo, e fatelo scolare nello scolapasta.Staccate le foglie e i rametti piccoli, togliendo via i gambi grandi.

Tamponate con un canovaccio o 2, fino ad assicurarvi che sia ben asciutto.In caso aspettate prima di frullarlo.

Mettete l'olio nel boccale del frullatore o del Bimby, e inserite le foglioline.Quindi frullate fino ad ottenere un pesto liquido ed omogeneo.Per il Bimby 20 sec. vel 10

Trasferite in un barattolo di vetro, chiudete il tappo e conservate in frigo.

Usate la quantità che vi necessità. Ogni volta che lo preleverete dal frigo, avrà la consistenza di una marmellata, per via dell'effetto della bassa temperatura con l'olio.

Il prodotto si conserverà fino a 3 mesi.Se volete mantenerlo di più trasferitelo in un portaghiaccio e fatelo congelare, cosi si manterrà fino a 1 anno.

Top 12 conserve recipes from across the web

The most viewed conserve recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

How to make marmalade

Strawberry jam

Sweet chilli jam

Italian Plum Jam

Blueberry jam

Basic jam

Lime marmalade

Microwave strawberry & lime jam

Raspberry jam drops

Winter Spiced Cranberry Conserve Re...

Easy Grape Jam - just 3 ingredients...

Come fare l' olio al prezzemolo

Top 12 conserve recipes from across the web

The most viewed conserve recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

How to make marmalade

Strawberry jam

Sweet chilli jam

Italian Plum Jam

Blueberry jam

Basic jam

Lime marmalade

Microwave strawberry & lime jam

Raspberry jam drops

Winter Spiced Cranberry Conserve Re...

Easy Grape Jam - just 3 ingredients...

Come fare l' olio al prezzemolo

The most viewed conserve recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine