Conserve: Jams

One of the nicest things about the summer months (aside from warmer weather) is the great rush of fruit that floods the markets: strawberries, peaches, cherries, melons, apricots, plums, wild berries, and all sorts of other things.

In the past this bounty did more than liven the table; the arrival of each new fruit occasioned a burst of activity in the kitchen as well, as cooks made it into jam or preserves for everyday use, and to carry a little bit of summer over into the winter months.

Despite the ready availability of commercially prepared jams and preserves, there are still advantages to making them at home. First, you can tailor the recipe to suit your taste -- commercial producers aim to please everyone and consequently leave out ingredients that some might object to, for example cloves. Also, you can (within reason) regulate the sweetness of your product -- those of commercial outfits are often cloyingly sweet, because the process by which they extract the juice from the fruit forces them to add pectins that in turn require addition of sugar to make everything jell. You can experiment -- La Vecchia Fattoria, one of Italy's most popular cooking and gardening shows, showed how to make cantaloupe marmalade. If you have or have access to a fruit tree, jam making is a great way to preserve the harvest. Homemade jams and preserves are great gifts. And finally, making jams and preserves is fun.

How to go about it:

To begin with, fruits can be divided into two categories, those with high pectin contents and those with lower pectin contents. If you make a jam or preserves with the latter it will help the jelling process if you add some of the former or a commercial pectin, though it is not absolutely necessary. I have had good results using commercially prepared pectin extracted from apples.

Not sure if your fruit is high or low pectin? Put a tablespoon of the cooled fruit juice produced by the cooking of the fruit into a glass, and add a tablespoon of grain alcohol. Shake gently; the alcohol will cause the pectin to collect in a transparent blob. If there's lots of pectin it will appear as a single blob when poured from the glass, and you should use equal volumes of sugar and fruit. If the pectin forms 2-3 blobs, the sugar should be 2/3 to 3/4 the volume of the juice, and if it forms still fewer blobs the sugar should be 1/2 the volume of the juice, unless the fruit is quite tart.

In selecting fruit for making jam, be sure that it is ripe, flavorful, and blemish free. This is one occasion when looks really don't count for much; if you're uncertain about the quality of the fruit close your eyes and take a deep sniff. If you're not greeted by the heady aroma of ripe fruit the jam won't taste of much either.

How much to make? Jams and preserves come out best made in small batches -- 1 to 1.5 quarts (liters) at a time. If you have more fruit make a second batch. Lightly crush the fruit with your hands and put it in the pot, adding a little water if it's a relatively dry fruit, for example apricots. Heat over a low flame, stirring often to prevent sticking or burning, until the fruit has become soft, then add the sugar. Continue stirring while the sugar dissolves, and then reduce the heat and continue to cook until the jam thickens to the point that a drop on a tilted plate runs slowly (keep in mind that it will thicken further as it cools, so don’t let it get too thick); this could take up to a half hour. Taste as you go; should the jam be too tart add more sugar, and if it is overly sweet add some lemon juice.

Once the jam is done you should transfer it to sterile jars with metal lids (wash them if need be with boiling water). Pour the hot jam into them, leaving a little bit of air space, and screw the lids on tightly. Let the jars cool on a metal rack. When they have cooled, tap the lids lightly with a spoon or knife; if they ring the seal is true. Should the lid of a jar fail to ring, either reseal it or use it (you could, for example, make a crostata. Store the jam in a cool dry place; it will keep for a year or more.

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• Amarena Cherry and Blackcurrant Jam, Confettura di Amarene e Ribes Rosso
  Amarene are slightly sour cherries, and work wonderfully with black currants in this jam.
• Apple, Apricot and Zucchini Relish: Confettura di Mele, Zucchine ed Albicocche
  This is a little unusual by Italian standards -- Artusi doesn't mention it, nor does Ada Boni -- but it is tasty, and a nice accompaniment to boiled meats.
• Apple Marmalade, Mele in Marmellata
  Easy to make and quite tasty.
• Apricot Jam, Confettura di Albicocca
  Considered the finest of all by Artusi, who says to make peach jam this way too.
• Apricot and Red Plum Jam: Confettura di Albicocche e Prugne Rosse
  Summer in a jar!
• Blueberry-Blackberry Jam, or Confettura di Mirtilli e More
  An inspired combination, and en excellent excuse to go berry picking in August, when the fruit is at its richest.
• Caribbean Jam: Confettura dei Caraibi
  When Artusi presented a recipe for banana ice cream in 1890 he began by describing bananas, which gives an idea of how exotic they were at the time in Italy. They are common now, as are mangoes (which were unheard of then), but this jam still does have a touch of the exotic about it.
• Drunken Fruit, or Conserva Antica
  Though one could call this brandied fruit, the term doesn't quite describe it.
• Fig Marmalade, or Marmellata di Fichi
  Rich, sensual, and easy to make too.
• Firm Apple or Quince Jam, Confettura Soda di Cotogne
• Green Tomato, Apple and Grape Relish: Confettura di Pomodori Verdi, Mele e Uva
  Another tasty relish that will work well with boiled meats and similar dishes.
• Jam Recipes
  A collection, including plum, blackberry, and... Cantaloupe.
• Lemon and Apple Marmalade, or Marmellata di Limoni e Mele
  Lemon adds definition and depth to what would otherwise be fairly plain.
• Peach and Almond Jam: Confettura di Pesche e Mandorle
  Almonds are one of the most popular ingredients in Italian sweets, and work nicely with peaches here.
• Peach and Raspberry Jam, Confettura di Lamponi e Pesche
  Summer in a jar!
• Softer Apple or Quince Jam, Confettura Liquida di Cotogne
• Strawberry Jam, Confettura di Fragole
  A classic.
• Strawberry and Kiwi Jam: Confettura di Fragole e Kiwi
  You may be surprised to discover that Italy is one of the world's major kiwi producers, rivaling New Zealand. No surprise that they find their way into jam.
• Summer Jam, or Confettura d'Estate
  Summer in a jar!
• Watermelon Marmalade, or Marmellata di Cocomero
  A tasty reminder of summer.
• Confettura di Melone, or Cantaloupe Jam
  The recipe calls for cantaloupes, but you could use other melons too, I expect -- honeydew melon might be an especially nice substitution.
• Confettura di Prugne, or Prune Jam
  Prunes fill the markets in Italy at the end of the summer, and since one can only eat so many, turning them into jam makes excellent sense. This is chunky, and will be nice on toast or over a crostata (a simple tasty pie).
• Nectarine Jam with Moscato Wine - Confettura di Pesche Noci al Moscato
  A sweet wine like Moscato is a wonderful addition to any marmalade, especially one made with peaches.
• Chestnut Marmalade - Confettura di Castagne
  This is a little unusual, but a nice fall treat.

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Buon Appetito!
Kyle Phillips

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