Features
Our pick of jams and chutneys for Autumn
by Miranda Freeman
published on 23 September 2014, last updated on 12 May 2023
Lots of cakes call for jams, but nothing finishes a sponge cake like a layer of your very own jam made from scratch at home. Take your cake to the next level with a recipe from one of the world’s best-loved jam-making guides – Beryl Wood’s classic Let’s Preserve It .
We’ve picked our top four jams and chutneys for autumn based on fruit seasonality and freshness.
Plum and Apple Chutney
910g (2lb) plums (when stoned) 450g (1lb) sharp apples (peeled and cored) 450g (1lb) shallots 450g (1lb) raisins 170g (6oz) Demerara sugar 1tsp each ground ginger and allspice 1/4tsp each ground cloves, nutmeg, cayenne pepper and dry mustard 28g (1oz) salt 570ml (1 pint) vinegar
Chop apples and onions, put in pan with plums and all other ingredients; bring to boil, stirring, then simmer till thickened, stirring occasionally.
Damson and Marrow Jam
450g (1lb) damsons 450g (1lb) marrow (when peeled and seeded) 150ml (1/4 pint) water 910g (2lb) sugar
Slit damsons, put in pan with marrow (cut up) and water; simmer till tender, removing stones as they are released; add sugar, stirring till dissolved; boil rapidly to set, removing remaining stones as they rise.
Pear and Ginger Preserve
450g (1lb) pears 450g (1lb) sugar 56g (2oz) preserved ginger juice 2 lemons 285ml (1/2 pint) water
Peel and core pears; cut in long slices; cut ginger into small chunks; put water and sugar in pan, stirring till dissolved; add fruit, ginger and lemon juice; cook very slowly till tender, carefully remove fruit to warmed jars; boil syrup for futher 5 min; pour over fruit and seal down.
Green Tomato Jam
450g (1lb) green tomatoes 910g (2lb) sugar 2tbs lemon juice
Wash and quarter tomatoes, put in bowl, cover with sugar; stand overnight; put in pan, simmer gently, stirring till sugar is dissolved and tomatoes are soft; add lemon juice and boil fast to set.
These recipes and more can be found in Beryl Wood’s Let’s Preserve It , available to buy here .
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