I started making jams when I was very young, using fruit from our farm. I started with recipes from my mother. I would cook the jam for hours, holding the spoon on one hand and a huge sugar thermometer on the other. By the time I had peach, raspberry, blackberry, fig and all the rest done (2 weeks later and sugar burns all over my arms and hands), we opened a jar of each to try them. <br />As I was young, inexperienced in all things about food and had an ego to care for, I thought they were good. Above all, I accepted the round of applause from my family. But the truth is, all the jams tasted the same – caramel. This was due to the long boiling process that killed all the flavour of the fruit and caramelised the sugars. <br />As I matured, I started to read and learn from French Chefs. I was, and still am, never satisfied. I was only 17 when I first bought a serious cookery book for myself. Its author is renowned Chef Lenôtre. <br />Reading his recipes and explanations, my jam making method changed completely and the taste changed dramatically. Over the years, i read other recipes that I tried and tweaked to suit my taste. I think I now have a master recipe for jams with a full flavour of the fruit. <br />Still, I had an issue with mould in some of the jams. It was at that time that I found store purchased Pectin in Paris. I would lug packets by the dozen with me for my jams. <br />Today I make jams maybe every 15 days, in small quantity, using both fresh and frozen fruit. Again here, I took advice of Mâitre Lenôtre - Jam can ONLY be made in small quantity, meaning no more then 3.3 pounds (1.5 kgs) of fruit at a time. The jam won't "set" because prolonged exposure to heat diminishes the thickening properties of pectin. <br />One last issue – Sterilizing or not sterilizing?! I take Mâitre Lenôtre’s advice and turn the jam pots upside down to sterilize the air in the pot. And, I must say, that I have pot’s of peach and blackberry jam (fruits that have no pectin in them and mould very easily) that date back to 2007, absolutely pristine. But I understand the need for sterilizing, if someone wants to be absolutely reassured that their jam has no mould at all. Your call. <br />This recipe for raspberry jam is the base to all my jams – it’s the result of almost 40 years of jam making. I only make some minor sugar adjustments to jams with very sweet fruits like fig and melon. <br />Good jamming. <br />PS. If you want some ideas for labels for offering your jams, check the links I left at the bottom of the page. <br />

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