Orchard Training Cookery Club - All Jammed Out!

All Jammed Out! - well the younger group is. They have been learning how to make basic jams, jellies and cheeses (the word cheese here means a jam that is very thick. It is made with fruit, sugar and water, which is boiled down well past the setting point. You can then slice the fruit cheese rather than spoon it.)

We started with the Rhubarb we picked way back in March, then the gooseberries, followed by the strawberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants and finally the cherries. The first two fruits we made into your straight forward jam. Learning the technical skills of fruit preparation, which sugar to use, how to sterilise the jars and all about pectin.

As the strawberries came in we had enough to make jam and soft set jam using different methods. Here we were kindly aided by one of our grandparents: grandpa supplied us with enough strawberries (you may remember we scoffed, did I say scoffed I meant "tasted" all of our strawberries grown in the Orchard Training Garden) and grandma showed us the techniques need to make ensure the strawberries stayed soft whilst cooking and even dispersed throughout the jam when setting. Although we did have someone who did their own thing, and ended up with whole strawberries all at the top of the jam but a fabulously tasting jelly underneath.

The blackcurrants was made in to a gorgeous cheese. I am afraid to say the first jar has already disappeared- it was so gooood!

We were joined by some younger sisters in the redcurrant picking at the local pick your own farm and just as well we were! It was a very sultry afternoon, and just as we collectively harvested just enough - the heavens opened. Some of us got pretty wet, they walked back to the car because they didn't want to drop the redcurrants. So, the right amount of redcurrant arrived at the kitchen already pre-washed!

The cooking cherry tree in the Orchard Training Garden did not preform so well this year. What with the pigeons and squirrels, its yield was just enough for two small jars for personal use and defiantly not of a class of 6. So, we supplemented them with shop bought cherries. I would very much like to thank the person who texted as soon as the cherries hit the supermarket grocery department, this came just in time for our jam making session. One of the most time consuming things is de-stoning cherries - lucky many hands made light work and many purple fingers. Only 6 cherry stones made it to the maslin (the stainless steel preserving pan).

The older cookery club members have already made straight forward jam last year and this year they are researching more complex recipes they would like to have a go at. Once we have agreed upon six we will get preserving. Look out for their post later in the year.