SHF 22: Confitures en tous genres — All Sorts of Jams



Impossible Not to Love une tartine de confiture (A slice of Bread with Jam)

After fruit macerates in sugar:

You can make this:

Magical!

I like to notice interesting behaviors and question why I follow them. Take for example a simple thing as making jam. I have wondered why I never make jams, although I grew up in a culture where canning and preserving vegetable and fruit is simply part of the summer ritual. Why? Am I incapable of it? Not really as I used to do it all the time with my mum. Back then, we did not even have the new fancy special jam pots with lids. It was the time when we used thin transparent sheets of plastic paper that we moistened with a small sponge before placing them on top of the pots full of hot freshly made jam. The next step involved putting an elastic around the edge to make sure the seal was secure. I always felt it was a magical moment. How cool was that? We would be able to eat the jams in months to come, but they would keep until then. That part literally fascinated the little girl I was. And, whenever my mum made jam, I became her appointed jam-making assistant. My two jobs consisted in moistening the plastic papers — and I really insisted on that part, “c’est moi qui le fait !” (I do it!) — and removing the foam that formed at the surface of the jam. So in view of this history, why not make jam myself when I have witnessed it so often? Do I need une bassine à confiture en cuivre (a copper jam pan) like my mum had? No, not necessary either. Thinking, thinking! I finally got my answer.

For some odd reason, I always thought that I could only make jams if I used fruit picked from my orchard. It never crossed my mind that I could buy the fruit to make the jam. C’est fou cela ! I know that this is crazy and nuts. I don’t even have an orchard nowadays! Some strange beliefs get stuck in my head sometimes, un vrai mystère (a real mystery) why. One thing that I know, however, is that at home, we would only preserve vegetables that were coming from our own garden, and make jams from the fruit we grew or from the ones we picked. Try to imagine the story of a mother and her kids going for a walk with little buckets, keen to find wild mulberries, strawberries or raspberries. It was us. And to the question my dad would ask: “Et, vous allez où, là, comme cela ?” (where are you going?), we would invariably answer, “On va chercher des mûres ! On revient ! (We are going to pick mulberries! We will be back!) We never bought jams. In fact, my mum kept une réserve (a food stock) in the basement always full of jam pots lined up on shelves, labeled with the variety, month and year: strawberry, cherry, raspberry, red currant, mulberry, apricot and rhubarb were the common jams we had.

Now that I know that I am well capable of making jams, you will not be surprised if I tell you how delighted I was when I heard about this month’s Sugar High Friday theme hosted by Nicky from the beautiful blog Delicious Days. This month’s theme is all about canning and preserving fruit! I finally have an opportunity to test my jam-making skills! Alone this time!

I decided to make two different kinds of jam. The first one was quite special to me as I am particularly attached to Apricot Jam. When I was a kid, it was simply one of my favorite jams. Testing to see whether I would be able to reproduce the taste I missed so much made me all excited and nervous. I added vanilla and lemon juice to enhance the taste of the jam. And it worked! I loved it. “Easy”, I thought, “I will make another one!” Hence, the second one was born from a fancy I had. Why not make a two fruit jam, made of raspberries added to yellow peaches. For this one, I was pretty much just curious to see what would happen to its color. I took and followed advice collected from my mum, and set myself to work. I knew the process was going to involve patience, which I can lack sometimes, since I was going to leave the different fruit marinate in sugar overnight. It might sound cliché , but I found the whole jam-making process extremely therapeutic. Qu’est-ce que ça fait du bien de faire des conserves ! (it feels so good to make preserves!) Why did I wait for so long until I started to make my own?

We Repeat What We Learn

I don’t have a basement that is a good place for jams but for the first time, I have a whole shelf of twelve nicely wrapped homemade jam pots, some of which I already gave to friends as little gifts, because you see, I really want to make more — in answer to P’s worry “Tu veux en faire encore ? Mais qui va les manger ? (You want to make more? But who is going to eat them?) — and need to make sure that someone will eat them! I am just repeating what I have learned to do. Merci maman !

Telle mère, telle fille !

Apricot and Vanilla Jam

You need:

  • 3 lbs + 5 oz ripe apricots
  • 2 vanilla pods
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 5 cups fine sugar

Steps:

  • Wash the fruit. Remove the stones and cut the apricots coarsely. Place them in a non-reactive pan (or special jam pan) with the vanilla pods cut in halves.
  • Sprinkle with the sugar and lemon juice. Mix and let macerate during the whole night (ideally 24 hours). Stir it once in a while.
  • The following day, remove the vanilla pods and fruit (keep them aside). Bring the jam to a boil and cook for 10 mns.
  • Put the fruit back with the seeds from the vanilla pods and continue to cook for 30 mns minimum. At this point, you can test to see whether your jam is ready by placing a Tbsp jam on a cold saucer. Run your finger in it. If the mark stays, your jam is ready. If it is not, continue to cook.
  • When ready, pour the hot jam in sterilized pots and seal them. Turn them upside down to let them cool down. Once cold, turn them.
Yellow Peach and Raspberry Jam

You need:

  • 3 lbs yellow peaches
  • 7 oz raspberries
  • 5 cups fine sugar
  • Juice of lime

Steps:

  • Follow the same steps as the ones for the apricot jam.

PS: Nicky and Oliver asked if we would share a special jam/preserve making book. All I have really is what my mum taught me, so far. No books I can recommend I am afraid.

Le coin français
Confiture d’abricots à la vanille

Ingrédients :

  • 1,5 kg d’abricots
  • 2 gousses de vanille
  • Jus d’1 citron
  • 1 kg de sucre

Étapes :

  • Lavez les fruits. Enlevez les noyaux et mettez-les dans une bassine à confiture avec la gousse de vanille fendue, (ou une casserole à fond épais).
  • Saupoudrez avec le sucre et versez le jus de citron. Mélangez et laissez macérer toute la nuit. Mélangez de temps à autre.
  • Le lendemain, retirez la gousse de vanille et les fruits (mis de côté). Portez à ébullition et cuisez pendant 10 mns.
  • Remettez les fruits et poursuivez la cuisson à petit bouillon (pendant 30 mns ou jusqu’à ce que la confiture ait pris).
    A ce moment-là, vous pouvez tester la confiture et voir si elle perle. Versez 1 càs de confiture sur une petite assiette froide et faites une marque avec votre doigt au milieu. Si la marque reste, votre confiture est prête. Sinon, poursuivez la cuisson.
  • Une fois prête, versez-la dans des pots à confiture stérilisés et fermez-les. Retournez les pots pour les laisser refroidir. Une fois froide, vous pouvez à nouveau retourner les pots.
Confiture de pêches jaunes et de framboises

Ingrédients :

  • 1,3 kg de pêches jaunes
  • 200 g de framboises
  • 1 kg de sucre
  • Jus d’1 citron vert

Étapes :

  • Suivez le même principe que pour la confiture d’abricots.
Little Steps to Follow

I like to add lemon or lime juice.

Wash the fruit, remove the stones, slice the pieces of fruit, and put them in a jam pan, sprinkled with sugar and lime or lemon juice.

The following day, you get a lot of liquid from the fruit and sugar.

You can start to cook your jam by bringing it to a gentle boil. Cook it for as long as you need to (not burning the jam), and remove the foam that forms at the surface, from time to time.

Et on obtient cela ! (You get this)

To test to see whether your jam is ready, place a saucer in the fridge for a few mns. Take it out and pour 1 Tbsp of jam on it. If you can run your finger through the jam and still see the mark you made with your finger, your jam is ready. Pour it hot in sterilized jam pots. Secure, label and store them.

And this jam can be enjoyed for wintery months to come, or right away! It all depends how patient you are.

Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, French Inspired, Fruit

32 comments

  1. J’adore les confitures et moi aussi, j’ai mis un temps à me dire que je pouvais en faire aussi en achetant des fruits… Tes petits pots sont très sympas. Où peut-on trouver des cups et des teaspoons, le sais-tu?

  2. Bravo Bea !!!! J’ai encore mon tablier autour de la taille et je visite ton blog, Je viens de faire de la confiture de framboises et les annans attendent ds une autre casserole…. Ca sera tres certainement ananas-gingembre confit… Que j’aime tout ca, que j’aime tout ca !!!

  3. Yummy!! Delicious, Bea. I agree – this is a delightful theme for SHF! And just the right time of year, too – I may attempt one of your recipes.

  4. oh bea…this post really moistened my eyes! how precious! my grandma, who is very ill and living out her last moments now, ALWAYS had a closet full of things she had preserved…everything from jams to sauces to vegetables. and just last week i purchased some mason jars, vowing to myself that i would have those memories live on in my house by doing that very same thing. thank you for letting us peek into the same kind of memories from your life!

  5. Abricot vanille un régal pour moi, je pourrais ne manger que celle ci quoique abricot lavande ou romarin c’est pas mal non plus Clea et Leelooo m’en ont offert!

  6. I have always had the same hang-ups over homemade jams and jellies. When I was younger my Mom only made jam after we picked things [blackberries from the backyard, blueberries from a local farm] it never really stuck me to make jam from bought fruit. Now I will keep my eyes open for fruit at a low price! thank you again for the endless inspiration!

  7. I love your site! It’s a joy to look at and read. I have an apricot tree and try to make jam every year since a lovely older woman came one yearasking for some fruit and offered to help me pick them and teach me how. Lucky me!
    xoxox

  8. C’est justement mon activité du moment, dernières en date : gelée de groseilles et prunes/nectarines/vanille. C’est un plaisir de les faire et de les offrir, encore plus que de les manger !
    Beah

  9. Bravo, what a beautiful job well done.
    How lucky that you were able to grow up picking berries and fruits and making jam with your mum. What a beautiful story.

  10. Your very own jam closet: what a lovely thought! This is a precious post! And now I’m wondering if the 2lbs of apricots in the frig should become jam not cake …

  11. Hiya, i hope you don’t mind and i apologises profusely, but i tagged you! You’re it!

  12. Ahh–wonderful!! I used to make jam and other preserves all the time. I even entered them in my county fair and won some blue ribbins. But, I haven’t done that in several years. You pictures are gorgeous! They make me want to make some jam again.

  13. I agree with one of your first comments … how can anyone not like jam and bread! Apricot is also one of my very favourites.

    As always your work is so beautiful!

  14. Beautiful as always! Apricot is also a favorite of mine – can I come relieve you of a few jars?! =) Your photos are exquisite!

  15. Your jams look absolutely fantastic! And what beautiful photos to document the process 🙂

  16. Bea, this reminded me of a trekking holiday in Corsica where I stayed in gites and loved the breakfasts as we always had lovely confeiture.Lovely post. So delightful.Thank you once again for sharing.

  17. Thanks Carol. Believe me when I say it though, it is easier than it seems! Try!

    Lalex, merci bien. Tu dois pouvoir trouver cela en ligne, non ? Ou dans un magasin de cuisine ?

    Jeff, thanks. I like to play with it.

    Sylvie, ahahh. SI je pouvais t’en envoyer !

    Jacelyn, you plunge them in boiling water for 3 mns and remove them carefully with a BBQ tongues for example. Or you can also place them in the dish washer and run it. Then keep the door close until you are ready to use them.

    Corinne, je suis impatiente de voir les tiennes. Ananas gingembre confit. Mmm, ca me met l’eau à la bouche.

    Faith, yes fun, eh?

    Krysten, this is very touching. I wish you the best in this hard time. You will always keep those beautiful memories of her and her preserves. All my thoughts to you!

    Mercotte, ah oui ce sont des associations bien attirantes.

    Adèle, merci. Oui très gourmandes.

    Lucy, thank you!

    Alhya, quand tu veux !

    Connie, thank you! Isn’t it odd how we get stuck with beliefs at times?

    Peabody, yes indeed!

    Jeanne, thanks so much for your nice note. I am delighted to hear you enjoy it. ANd yes yes, you are a lucky woman to have an apricot tree. Enjoy it!

    Beah, mmm ca donne envie.

    Kat, thanks!

    JenJen, yes I think you are right. I realize now that I am lucky to have had this childhood full of food memories.

    Alanna, I think you are right. You will remember the jam longer than the cake. It will at least last longer!

    Mae, thanks for thinking about me. As mentioned to you as well ahah, lovely Ximena tagged me before so my answers are up!

    Sher, oh wow. SUPER! You have to share your winning recipes 😉

    Ivonne, thanks a lot my dear!

    Megan, ahahh, of course you can. Door is always open to share food.

    Ellie, thank you!

    Valentina, oh a trekking vac in Corsica. How nice. I love the place!

  18. wow. no wonder your blog is called tartine gourmande, with that jam childhood! I´m totally jealous of your basement.

  19. La bonne confiture sur une tranche de pain de campagne! Rien de mieux pour commencer la journée.

  20. It is wonderful that you again took up one of your favorite childhood activities! I wish I knew where to get those pretty jars you use. Thank you for the detailed directions.

  21. Oh dreamy – I can smell your kitchen reading this, delicious! Gorgeous gorgeous pictures!