Thursday, August 3, 2006

Bernardin: Because You Can

I bought a 20 pound case of Apricots on Tuesday.


Actually, at the store I weighed some apricots to get an idea of how many apricots make a pound, and when I got home I counted the apricots in the box and thought I might have grossly over-estimated that number (6). I set the bathroom scale on the table, and put the box of fruit on it, and, it may have been closer to a 17 pound box, even giving allowance for the weight of the box itself.


It doesn't matter. The apricots won't be any cheaper than they are this week, and I wanted to make apricot jam and syrup.


Last year I discovered "Bernardin: No Sugar Added Fruit Pectin Crystals".


Amazing!


I made some No Sugar Added Crabapple Jelly that is delightful.


Yesterday I got around to trying a batch each of Apricot jam and syrup.


I wasn't sure if the jam would set, but it did.


The jam is almost too tart, (perhaps because I added a tablespoon of lemon juice to cut down on the oxidation browning) but it will be nice this winter- and it looks much prettier than the E.D.Smith apricot spread I've been buying.


I think the syrup worked too. I reasoned that by doubling the amount of fruit used with one package of pectin, it should make a runny, syrupy jam. It seems to have done.


This morning I'm off to make one more batch of jam, but I think I'm going to make it Apricot-Mango. I have one nicely ripened mango on the counter, and I was just considering how that combination might work. After a bit of Internet research, I think I am confidant that Mangoes have enough natural pectin to not have an adverse affect on the gelling of the fruit spread.


Ooh- experimentation! This is exciting.


Maybe it's not so surprising that I have a daughter who likes Chemistry and Maths!

3 comments:

  1. I LOVE jam-making!!!

    I also tried the Bernardin no sugar thing this year, I made a batch of strawberry jam. I did use a small amount of sugar tho. Though it would be to tart. It turned out really nice! :)

    I made a batch of chokecherry/ apple jelly that did not set. So I have a nice batch of syrop also. I don't know why it didn't work. I was'nt able to get my hands on crab apples so I used some spartan from the store. Shouldn't it have worked?



    I was considering the apricot jam also, but I'm not sure I will have the time.

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  2. mmmmmmmm.....jam..........canning.



    i feel a bit strange among my peers, as there are only a couple of us that do any of this sort of thing......



    Robin, if you are in the Saskatoon area, i have a TON of crabapples, you would be very welcome to come help yourself to a bunch of them. Email me back at the email addy here....

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  3. Thanks for the offer. Normally I would, but I am swearing off jam and jelly making for the rest of this year. Time to eat up what I over did last year! :)



    Thanks again, anyway! :)



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